What is Happiness?
by yukimurapanda2
Summary: Royal!Kise x Commoner!Kuroko AU: In which Kise is a spoiled prince with no concept of happiness. When he sees a blue-haired servant boy smile despite his low status and hard life, Kise becomes very interested and wants to know more about him.
1. Prologue

The blond prince sighed and slumped in his chair, having long since lost interest in the elaborate lecture his father was giving him on proper etiquette around the commonfolk. He knew all of this already: stand up straight, walk gracefully, don't speak to any of them, never make eye contact, and other useless formalities that made him seem more like a stuffed shirt than an actual person. The young royal yawned, silently reflecting on how boring this lecture, along with the rest of his life, truly was.

His wandering mind was abruptly shot back down to reality, however, when he felt a light smack on the back of his head. "Ryouta!" came the stern voice of his father. "Ryouta, are you even listening to us?"

"Ow, hey!" Ryouta automatically responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice, rubbing the spot with a gloved hand even though it didn't hurt. "Father, I know all of this stuff already. Why _should_ I be listening?

This earned him another swat on the head. "You need to learn how to behave properly." The king said, looking down at his son with a disapproving frown. "Such uncourtly behavior reflects poorly on us, the royal family."

Ryouta narrowed his golden eyes and scowled at his father. "Like I care." He grumbled, standing up with a huff and descending the carpeted stairs towards the exit, brushing past the king, who became visibly more irritated.

"Ryouta, come back here!" His slightly raised voice echoed off the stone walls of the throne room. "We haven't finished with you yet!"

"Stop saying 'we'! Nobody uses that anymore; it's outdated!" The blond practically yelled back, walking out of the room without even a glance over his shoulder; before his father could further protest, he was gone.

The king's mask finally dropped when his wife, the queen, reentered the room. "What am I going to do with him…?" he asked with an exasperated sigh.

* * *

Ryouta agitatedly walked down a random series of passageways and corridors. The palace seemed to be more like a prison than a home to him, and he just wanted to get away from his family and all their rules, at least for a little while. He ended up in an unfamiliar part of the castle, with a window nearby that, when he leaned up to it and looked outward, had a perfect view of the market square.

The atmosphere outside of the castle seemed so lively and somehow inviting, everyone bustling about and gossiping with one another. Despite their less-than-preferable social status, they seemed _happy. _The blond envied them for that. He peered out the window for a while, resting his head on his fist and watching the activity with half-hearted interest, until he saw something that caught his attention.

A person who looked small enough to be a child, dressed in plain clothes and had baby blue hair, was weaving through the thick crowds while awkwardly carrying a heavy crate of some kind. While it was unfortunate that children were being put to work like that, Ryouta noted, that wasn't what he found curious about the boy; it was the fact that no one seemed to see him at all. Even when the mule-drawn cart raced by and knocked the boy down into the mud, nobody even noticed and just continued on as if he wasn't even there. But the blue-haired boy didn't cry or complain; he silently stood up, brushed himself up, and started to examine his scattered produce to see what he could salvage. The prince observed the scene with renewed curiosity. "How can he just carry on like that?" he asked himself. "Amazing…"

"Oi, Tetsu!" roared a voice from within the crowd. Ryouta looked toward the voice and saw a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man with dark blue hair pushing and shoving through and walked over to the boy (whom Ryouta assumed was "Tetsu"), kneeling down beside him and proceeding to help him clean up the mess. He said something the royal observer couldn't hear, but the pale boy responded with a nod. Then the taller raised one of his strong arms and began to ruffle Tetsu's hair, then helped him to his feet, making another comment with a wide grin. But then the boy did something that both amazed and confused the prince: he _smiled_. Not a half-hearted or a fake smile, but a real, warm, _happy_ smile. The blond raised his head off his hand in surprise as his eyes widened. _How? How can he possibly be happy after something like that? _He wondered, watching as the darker male picked up the crate and walked off with the boy, still grinning. Ryouta pulled away from the window, perplexed, and started down the corridor again. He admired the boy for being able to recover like that, and throughout the rest of the day he found himself thinking about him. Finally he decided he was going to attempt to contact this Tetsu to see if he could possibly learn more about him. He had never been this interested about anything or anyone before; at the very least, he _had_ to see him again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Sorry for the last chapter being so short. I didn't really know where to end it :/ but I tried to make this more interesting OTL I love the concept of this fic, but I don't really think I'm writing it that well. :sighs: well, enjoy this bit (it's a long chapter * _ * orz), and I may or may not write more tomorrow.**

* * *

"You can't be serious." Ryouta tried his hardest to hide his irritation. "I don't even _know_ her, and yet you want—no, you're_ requiring _me to attend her birthday party? I'm not a child, father."

The king rubbed his eyes, his patience wearing thin as he resisted the urge to throw him out of the room. "I've told you before," he said slowly, emphasizing every syllable. "As a _prince_, you must acquaint yourself with all ladies of the court when they become of age; it is to form relationships with the other clans so we can make the most economical decision when signing the marriage contract. Don't tell me you have forgotten your duties as _heir to the throne_."

"I _know_ that, dad!" Ryouta shot back, unintentionally raising his voice. "I don't need another lecture about what my responsibilities are!"

"Then stop blatantly _ignoring_ your responsibilities!" The older man yelled back, thrusting a stiff finger in his direction.

A polite knock on the door instantly changed the atmosphere in the room. "The servant you wished to see, sire." Came a voice from outside the door.

The king relaxed and sat back in his chair, sighing deeply and clearing his throat, donning his mask of neutrality and authority. "Send him in." he said calmly, though there was still a slight edge to his voice. The prince automatically dropped his gaze and respectfully moved to the side with his gloved hands folded behind his back.

The door opened, and in walked a footman, who was forcefully dragging along a small-bodied servant dressed in plain clothing. The blond, out of sheer curiosity, stole a glance up at the visitors; his eyes widened in slight surprise as they locked onto a head of baby-blue hair.

The king remained silent as he regarded the servant, and Ryouta likewise couldn't stop staring at him. He wasn't a boy, like he had originally thought; he was a very petite young man, closer to his own age. If it wasn't for the slight muscle tone on his arms Ryouta would have thought him malnourished because of how ghostly pale he was. He wished he could get a good look at his face, but the servant's gaze was fixed on the ground. The prince frowned when he noticed the footman's death-grip on his arm.

"His name is Kuroko Tetsuya." the footman stated, yanking down on the blue-haired's arm, forcing him down on his hands and knees before the king. "He's the scum that carelessly dropped and ruined His Majesty's entire produce order yesterday. He admitted to the crime whole-heartedly."

The seated ruler stared down at Kuroko Tetsuya, nodding slowly in response to the footman's report. "I see," he said evenly. "I thank you for apprehending him."

Ryouta glared first at the footman, then at his father. Crime? _Apprehending _him? "But it was an accident!" he didn't realize he had verbalized his thoughts until he found that both men were staring at him, a subtle glare in his father's eyes.

"Would you care to elaborate on that?" the king asked with impatient and almost threatening undertones in his voice. What he was really saying was "_You better not make a fool of yourself."_

The blond inhaled slowly and took a small step forward, quickly glancing down at the smaller male on the floor. "I saw this 'crime' with my own eyes. Kuroko Tetsuya didn't purposely drop the crate; he was nearly flattened by a cart and was knocked to the ground, and_ that _was what caused it to fall out of his hands."

The footman shook his head. "Not to be rude, Your Highness," he countered, the slightest bit of disdain in his voice, "but we quickly ruled out that possibility. He immediately admitted to dropping the crate, and none of the cart-runners that day reported any collisions of any kind, much less one that involved someone like _him_."

Ryouta opened his mouth to argue but the king raised a hand to silence him. "Enough." He said, "I have other business to attend to. Put him in the dungeon until I determine an appropriate punishment for him."

With a curt nod the footman grabbed the blue-haired's arm and roughly yanked him to his feet. "I'll escort you down there." The confident-sounding words left the prince's mouth before he could think them through. He took another step toward Kuroko Tetsuya, then turned to face his father with a challenging look in his yellow eyes. "Allow me to take _responsibility_ for my 'mistake.'"

The elder royal stared at his son sternly for a few moments, then half-raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said finally. "Proceed." The prince respectfully gave a slight bow toward the king, then spun on his heel and led the other two men out of the room.

* * *

The prince led the way down toward the dungeon, their footsteps echoing loudly through the corridor. His mind was just starting to wander when he heard the pale servant stumble over an uneven part of the hallway, and the footman pulled hard on his arm, his grip around it tightening. "Keep up, you moron!" He snarled, "Don't you dare try to run off!"

Ryouta quickly turned around and firmly grabbed the footman's wrist. "I would appreciate it if you didn't treat him so harshly." He said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing.

The footman scowled back at him. "What's it to _you_? He's a _criminal_; a _nobody_. He _deserves_ it!"

The blond continued to glare at him for a moment or two more, then gave his wrist a good squeeze before releasing his grip. "Tch, whatever. But do _not_ talk to me like that. You disrespect me, you're disrespecting my father as well. Keep that in mind the next time you think about raising your voice at me." He made sure to speak articulately to make his point clear.

"Why should I take you seriously when it's obvious your father is about to give up on you?" The footman spat, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "You don't _deserve_ the throne; you're just as despicable as_ this _trash!" He vigorously shook the smaller male's arm at the last statement.

Ryouta stopped dead in his tracks. In one swift motion he slid off his right glove, spun on his heel, and punched the other man squarely in the face, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall flat on his back and, because of the grip he still had on Tetsuya's arm, dragged the servant down with him. Slowly putting his glove back on, he glared down at the footman. "I told you to watch your mouth." He replied icily. "My father _will_ hear about this, and you _will_ be punished for disrespecting the royal family." He briefly turned his attention toward Tetsuya to ask if he was able to stand; he gave a small nod and did so silently. "Leave the palace immediately. _I'll_ deal with him." The blond prince promptly took Kuroko by the wrist and walked quickly in the other direction.

Once he had put enough distance between him and the footman, he took a slight detour around a corner and led them into an empty store room, closing the door behind them. "Sorry about that," Ryouta said with a sigh. "I don't usually lose my temper like that." He turned around to directly face Kuroko, making sure to put himself in front of the door just in case he did try to run off. "Are you hurt?" he asked the pale man, frowning when all he got in response was a tiny nod. "You can talk to me freely, you know. I'm not as strict as my father."

The blue-haired still had his head lowered to the ground, refusing to make eye contact with the prince. After a few moments' silence, he spoke. "…I'm fine…" he murmured. He had a soft, timid voice that almost made Ryouta smile; to him it sounded almost soothing.

Less than convinced with his answer, he looked over his body for any kind of injuries. "He was holding you pretty tightly….Show me your arm." Obediently Tetsuya held out his arm; Ryouta took it and pushed back his sleeve, gently prodding at his pale skin. "Hmm. I'm no expert or anything, but I think it might bruise." He let go of his arm and Kuroko slowly brought it back to his side. The tall blond put a hand on his hip. "And what about your head? Did you hurt it when you fell back there? I didn't mean to knock you down as well."

Tetsuya slowly shook his head. "I'm fine," he repeated. "Please do not worry about me."

The prince chuckled softly. "Telling me what to do now, are you?" he said jokingly. He creased his eyebrows, however, when the smaller male bowed to him, apologizing. "Hey now, I didn't mean it like that," he added quickly, half-regretted he said anything. "Now come on, show me your face. I want to know if you're hurt or not."

The servant straightened but did not raise his head. "Excuse me for being rude," he said after a short pause, "but why are you concerned about my health?"

Ryouta leaned up against the door and tilted his head back at the ceiling, thinking of how to respond. Why _was_ he concerned? "Well…" he started, absently scratching the back of his head. "to be completely honest, I don't know. I guess I just find you interesting." He looked back down at Tetsuya, his voice suddenly taking on a more serious tone. "Now come on, show me your face."

There was another slight pause before the smaller male slowly started to raise his head towards the prince, though he still refused to make eye contact with him, which for some reason really bugged the blond. He leaned forward and lightly held his pale chin, tilting his head back even more. "Look at me." He said softly, hardly even noticing that their faces were barely a hand's-width apart. The blue-haired's face was just as pale as the rest of him; it actually looked nice with the color of his hair, the prince noted. Tetsuya didn't dare disobey; he blinked slowly before finally made eye contact with the taller male. Ryouta noticed the flash of fear in his clear, sapphire-blue eyes—he could understand why he would be uncomfortable—but were his cheeks flushed pink as well?

Ryouta blinked a few times, remembering that he was looking for_ injuries_, not his eyes. He slowly turned the blue-haired's head to the side, raising his other hand to lightly feel around the back of Tetsuya's head. Pleased to discover that there was no injury, a small smile crept onto the blond's face as he released Tetsuya's chin, accidentally brushing his thumb against his cheek as he moved his hand to rest on his shoulder to hold him at arm's length. "You really are fine. That's good to know~" He closed his eyes and felt his smile widen. When he opened his eyes again, he was slightly surprised to see that the smaller male was still staring at him, his cheeks perhaps even more pink than before. The prince blinked again. "Is something the matter?"

Tetsuya jumped as if snapping out of a trance and quickly looked away. "No, nothing is wrong." He answered timidly.

The taller male nodded and pulled away, removing his hand from his shoulder. "Good." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "We'd better get you down to that dungeon before they start searching for us." Once again he lightly grabbed onto Tetsuya's wrist, opening the door and heading down to the dungeon.

When they arrived at their destination Ryouta convinced the key master to let him see Tetsuya into his cell, assuring him that nothing bad would happen. The pale servant had been completely silent since they left the storage room, but he piped up again after the prince had locked the door to his cell. "May I ask a question…?" he asked, his voice almost identical to when he first spoke.

Ryouta nodded. "Of course you may," he replied, "what is it?"

The blue-haired had his gaze fixed on the floor. "Do you know…what's going to happen to me?"

The blond prince shrugged. "No, I really don't. But I'm going to try and see if I can influence my father's decision. Like I said, I saw the whole thing; you didn't do anything wrong. You shouldn't be punished for something you didn't do."

Tetsuya was silent for a while, so the taller male started to walk away. "Thank you." He said finally; his voice was so soft that the blond nearly didn't hear him. Ryouta kept walking, but he felt himself smile again. He put his fingers to his lips. No one's been able to make him smile like this. _Kuroko Tetsuya_, he thought, glancing over his shoulder, _you're a lot more interesting than I thought._


	3. Chapter 2

Ryouta couldn't figure out why he was so distracted. Sure, this birthday party he was forced to attend was boring and he kept being dragged into countless conversations with a bunch of ladies he really didn't want to talk to, but he didn't understand why he kept thinking about _him_. The blond shook his head and tried to shrug it off, thinking that he was just reminding himself to talk to his father as soon as he could.

"Hellooo…? Did you hear what I said?" A sweet lady voice and a tentative tug on his sleeve reminded the prince where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. He was surrounded by a group of ladies, and they were all staring at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to answer an important question, but he had completely missed what he had just been asked.

One lady, a blond in a frilly pink dress, put a gloved hand in front of her face. "Oh? Were you thinking of somebody just now?" She glanced over at her friend, who smiled and suppressed a giggle and looked back up at Ryouta, tucking a strand of her shorter brown hair behind her ear. "Does this mean you're perhaps courting someone already?"

The tall blond was taken slightly by surprise, much to the amusement of the ladies around him. "N-no, that's really not it at all…!" he replied hurriedly, trying not to sound frantic. He coughed and collected himself. "I mean…yes, it's true I was thinking about someone earlier, but no; I am _not_ courting any lady right now."

All the ladies exchanged wide-eyed looks, gossiping amongst themselves; the blond thought he heard words like "secret lover" among their whisperings, at which he panicked. "No no, it's not like that, either!" He said, flustered, waving his hands out in front of his face. Then, once he noticed that all eyes were on him and begging for an explanation, he sighed and straightened his navy blue jacket. "I am_ not _courting anyone_, nor_ do I have a secret lover or any of that." Seeing that his audience was not the least bit convinced, he went on. "The person I was thinking about earlier is someone I must speak to my father about—which does not have anything to do with this sort of…" he paused, then cleared his throat. "…business." The prince left it at that, seeing as he really didn't have a better way to explain his situation without going into any specific details.

There were some soft giggles from some of the ladies, but none of them looked too convinced the idea of the prince having a secret lover (especially after having denied it so quickly) was just too juicy to let go of. One of the girls, the quiet one in an olive green dress, even had the courage to ask "So what's she like?"

Ryouta felt his cheeks warm a bit, but then he shook his head and frowned a tiny bit, starting to get tired of this topic. It really was annoying how they kept pestering him about something so trivial, but he knew he still had to be polite. "There is _no_ 'she'," he answered confidently, but with soft undertones. "And I assure you that my business with the king does not involve any lady of the court—or _any_ lady, for that matter."

They continued to stare at him for a few moments more, but then finally, albeit reluctantly, accepted his story, a few sighs sounding from within his group of lady admirers. The young royal noticed that there was still some lingering suspicion in their eyes as they bowed and turned away, but they didn't question him any further. Ryouta likewise turned and, after respectfully saying his goodbyes to the hosts, started to head back toward the palace with a small shrug. Let them think what they want; he really didn't care. The blond rubbed his neck and glanced up at the sky, which was painted orange and red and purple with the fading sunset. How had it gotten this late? He needed to talk with his father as soon as he got back.

The prince sighed again, walking right past the carriage that was supposed to bring him home. Without stopping or turning around, he waved the driver off with a "No thanks, I'll walk." He wasn't far from the castle anyway, and he needed the extra time to think. The tall blond rehearsed the scene over and over in his head, anticipating his father's questions and trying to come up with the most favorable answers. He continually struggled with and was at a loss for words with one particular question whenever it came up:

_Why do you care about him so much?_

Ryouta stopped and thought for a minute or two, resting his elegant, gloved hands on his hips. Surely "because he's interesting" would not be an adequate (or an acceptable) answer. The troubled royal racked his brain, attempting to come up with a better response. His mind wandered back to that day in the market, and Tetsuya's warm smile…and then the way that tiny servant had made _him_ smile…

He had never smiled like that before.

The blond's thoughts lingered on the blue-haired's smile, simple yet completely _sincere_. "…because he taught me how to smile..." he thought aloud without realizing it, his voice underlined with soft, earnest tones. "…or because he could teach me how to be happy…"

Suddenly realizing what he just said, he laughed half-heartedly at himself, somewhat embarrassed, though no one had heard him speak. "What am I saying?" he asked himself with a timid smile as he started walking again, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "That's such a childish answer; he'd never accept that!" he chuckled again; an insincere, insecure laugh. Ryouta felt his chest tighten a bit; deep down he knew that what he had said just then was the truth. The prince sighed again, suddenly feeling extremely lonely as he realized that he actually _envied_ him for being able to smile like that. He also realized that he'd never really felt true happiness at all. _What is happiness, anyway? _He thought hopelessly as he made his way back home, under a sky that was just as blue as he felt.


	4. Chapter 3

Ryouta was exhausted when he finally got back to the palace; the sun had set a while ago, his feet ached, and his bed was calling to him, but he knew he needed to talk to his father before he did anything else. Apparently his father thought so, too, because the blond had barely taken two steps down the corridor when one of the king's attendants came running towards him, saying that the king wanted to see him immediately. "How convenient," he replied indifferently as he was being led the rest of the way to his father's office, suddenly getting apprehensive when, once he entered the room, he saw his father pacing up and down the room with an impatient face. "Father," he started somewhat hesitantly, "if this is about today—"

"Sit down." Ryouta dared not disobey. He sat down in a chair opposite from the king's desk. He sounded almost angry, and the prince just sat silently, nervously gripping his knees and waiting for his father to speak. He honestly had no idea what he was going to say.

The older man slowly sat down into his own chair with a sigh; then he poured himself a cup of tea and offered some to Ryouta as well. "I heard some disturbing news earlier this evening." He said finally just as the younger blond was about to take a sip of his drink.

Still rather confused, the prince blinked and set his cup down on the saucer. "Oh," was all he could think of to say.

The king stared at his son critically, his own beverage remaining untouched. "The footman," he continued, his gaze remaining fixed on the other individual, unblinking. "came into my office with a very swollen face, saying it was you who spontaneously struck him, and you went wandering about the castle with the criminal."

"What?!" Ryouta blurted, half standing, before slowly sitting down again. He wasn't sure if he was outraged or just plain shocked. "That's seriously what he told you?"

His father's expression did not change. "Well? Is it true or isn't it?"

The blond creased his eyebrows and huffed, taking a small sip of his tea. "Only partly." When the older man didn't respond, he elaborated. "Okay, so I did hit him. But it wasn't spontaneous! He was being disrespectful and said things that were completely out of line!"

"And what of the criminal?"

"He's _not_ a criminal, father, I saw the whole thing! I brought him into the empty store room, the one we never use, just to make sure he was okay. We went straight to the dungeon afterwards; see for yourself if you don't believe me!" _Why am I getting so worked up over all of this?_ He kept asking himself, only half noticing that his voice was getting louder and louder.

"Why?" The king's voice remained placid.

"What?" Ryouta spat almost venomously.

_"Why would you care about him so much to do that?"_

His eyes widened and he blinked, and in the few moments where he hesitated suddenly noticed he was standing, fists clenched at his side. "Because…" he started as he grinded his teeth, yellow eyes narrowing again. He took a deep breath. "Kuroko Tetsuya is still a person!" The tall prince shouted. "He still deserves someone to look after him! Your worth as a person is not determined by your social status!" Practically fuming, he spun on his heel and walked swiftly towards the door. His hand had just touched the handle when he heard his father chuckle. Ryouta half-turned, not sure how to interpret that rare reaction.

The king looked somewhat out-of-character, which stunned the younger blond; his lips were upturned into a small smile, his storm-cloud eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well then," the older man replied, a sudden unexpected warmth in his voice. "I see how it is."

Gone was Ryouta's anger; he was just confused again. "What do you mean…?" he asked hesitantly.

His father took two long sips of his tea. "You were going to ask me to lessen the boy's punishment, weren't you?"

The prince took a couple small steps toward him. "How did you know that?"

He chuckled again. "I could see it in your eyes." The older man motioned for Ryouta to sit back down, which he slowly did. Taking another sip of his drink, he went on. "That footman has never been completely…reliable," he said as his son absently picked up his own cup and started to sip his tea. "but I had to see the truth for myself. And despite all the times you frustrate me to no end, you have never once lied to me." He finished his tea and poured more for himself. "I could see the truth in your eyes, Ryouta, and I believe you."

Ryouta blinked a couple times, completely at a loss for words. "Then…" he tried to come up with some sort of response. "what about…the servant? What's going to happen to him?"

The king calmly sipped his tea. "I've already determined an appropriate punishment," he stated plainly. "It isn't anything serious, but I changed his line of work. Starting from now, he will be working inside the palace. For the time being his job is mucking out the stalls in the stables. Under the supervision of our stable and arms master, of course."

The prince gulped. "A-Akashicchi...?" he said in horror.

His father nodded. "Of course. He did say he was particularly displeased that you've been skipping your lessons with him, too."

"But he's too strict on me!" the blond whined. "You know I can barely use a sword, let alone on _horseback!_"

"That's why he's teaching you, Ryouta." The king responded in his usual firm tone. "You will start going to his lessons again starting tomorrow. He wants you on the grounds at eight in the morning, sharp."

Ryouta sighed, feeling defeated. Reluctantly he agreed to attend the torture sessions, and got up to leave the room. The meeting with his father had gone well, he supposed, but in the end it felt like he was being punished more than the actual "criminal".


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Okay, I may make some revisions later; most of this was written at like 3am and the last bit at the end was quickly slapped on really quickly when I'm already half-asleep, so I might read it over later to clean it up a little bit.**

* * *

Ryouta stretched his arms wide and yawned as he slowly made his way to the stables, a good two hours before the sun was due to rise. He was not at all looking forward to these training sessions with Akashi Seijuro, the stable and arms master and Kise's personal instructor; the prince found him to be quite scary. The scarlet-haired swords master was quite shorter than him, but there was just something about that one golden eye of his that sent shivers down his spine every time they crossed paths. In some ways, Akashi seemed to hold more authority over the prince than the king himself did.

He turned a corner and walked under an archway that led outside, inhaling deeply when he stepped out into the crisp morning air. The blond shivered; it was unusually chilly outside, and he wasn't used to being out and about this early in the day. Thankfully his breath was not visible, but he still got the feeling that this was going to be a very long day. As the scent of hay and fresh oats filled his nostrils the young royal began to predict how his training session would go, hating every dreaded step he took as he neared the stables.

"Well look who it is."

The tall blond looked down with a jolt and found the very object of his nightmares standing right before—no, right _under_ him; he had nearly crashed into the cool-headed swordmaster—and staring up at him. Ryouta gulped and felt himself begin to sweat nervously as that one yellow eye seemed to peer into his very soul. "G-good morning, Akashicchi," the prince replied carefully, trying to appear as calm as possible.

The smaller male simply raised an eyebrow. "You have missed nearly all your sessions in the past two months." Seijuro stated with sinister undertones that made the blond shiver. "What do you have to say about that?"

Anxiously avoiding eye contact, Ryouta paused before giving a tiny, timid nod and said in a quiet voice, "I…forgot."

The shorter male stared down at the tall prince with his lethal, penetrating gaze, having seen right through his lie. "I'm doubling the number of sessions for the next month," the redhead ordered icily without raising his voice, though Ryouta still cringed like a dog anticipating its punishment. "And you will do triple the normal training menu until further notice." Seijuro turned on his heel, coattails swishing, and walked swiftly to the stables, knowing Ryouta would unquestioningly follow, which he did.

_Man,_ the prince thought uneasily, following his master silently while resisting the urge to groan out of displeasure_, I'm so much higher on the social ladder than he is, and yet it feels like he_ owns _me._ They walked over to their horses, which were being tacked up by the stableboy, a rather fidgety boy around Seijuro's age and height with sandy-brown hair (he had seen him many times before but never bothered to learn his name), with Tetsuya observing silently off to the side and slightly in the shadows; the blond would have missed him completely if he hadn't seen his sky blue hair and sapphire eyes. He didn't have time or the luxury to stare at the new servant right now, however. With a small sigh he quickly mounted his chestnut mare and trotted out to where Seijuro was already waiting for him, his saber already drawn. The prince frowned as he drew his own blade, lamenting on how long this day would be.

* * *

Tetsuya saw the blond look at him. The blue-haired was supposed to be paying attention to how Kouki was preparing the horses, but he started getting distracted as soon as the elegant prince came over. And when Ryouta_ saw_ him, he couldn't help but notice how those honey-colored eyes seemed to twinkle, despite the lack of sunlight and the fact that they were still clouded with tiredness. Tetsuya knew it was rude and somewhat out of line, but he just couldn't stop staring at the blond, admiring him from afar like he always did before he started work in the castle.

"Kuroko, we have to get back to work," Kouki said, picking up a bucket of oats and giving Tetsuya's arm a gentle poke. "Akashi will get mad if we're not productive."

Turning to face the brunette, the paler male nodded silently and followed him into another stall, observing and learning the feeding and grooming schedules and routines for all the horses, all the while stealing careful glances at the prince whenever he could get away with it.

Apparently Tetsuya had picked everything up fairly quickly, because Kouki had made an off-hand comment about finishing everything earlier than he expected. "This means we can get a longer lunch break!" he said with an innocent grin, patting Tetsuya lightly on the back. "Those are rare, especially in this line of work. Although we do have to check in with Akashi to make sure he doesn't need us to do anything else."

"But isn't it rude to interrupt him?" Tetsuya asked quietly after a short pause and a quick glance over at the two other males, who were still hard at work.

Kouki's brown-eyes widened. "_No_, there's no way we're going over there." He said, seeming slightly horrified at the thought. "He'd kill us for sure. No, there's a flag that we'll raise, and he'll come over here and inspect our work at his leisure."

The blue-haired nodded understandingly. They walked around to the front of the stables, where he raised the flag as Kouki instructed, then stood off to the side to wait. From where they were they could see the training arena perfectly. Tetsuya watched the sparring match between Seijuro and Ryouta interestedly, hardly noticing the brunette shift the weight on his feet and complain about his aching feet. They were both dismounted, and from the redhead's constant pointing at the ground he assumed they were focusing on footwork. The paler male was impressed at how perfectly and _easily_ the tall blond could imitate Seijuro's maneuvers. There was also a certain gracefulness to his fighting style that he found especially appealing; beautiful, even. He was almost disappointed when the swordmaster stopped the drill after he spotted their flag waving lazily in the breeze; he wanted to see more of Ryouta's style. The blue-haired saw the prince lean up against his horse and wipe the sweat off his face as Seijuro came over and immediately began the inspection. Tetsuya continued to stare at the man panting heavily, running a hand through his yellow hair before adjusting his grip on his sword. The blue-haired thought he saw him look back at him before the armsmaster stepped in front of them, blocking his view of the prince. The scarlet-haired man placed a hand lightly on Kouki's head and ruffled his sandy hair a bit, at which the brown-eyed male stiffened slightly. "Well done, Kouki." He said plainly, his face unreadable, though Tetsuya detected a hint of affection in his voice. "You may take your break now." Just as he turned to leave, he spotted the blue-haired. His eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. "And you are…?"

Tetsuya, taken slightly off-guard, blinked once and bowed respectfully. "Kuroko Tetsuya," he answered quietly. "I was just transferred here this morning."

Seijuro's face softened a little as a small amused smile grew on his lips. "I see," he replied simply. "I would very much like to see you later, _Tetsuya_." His gold eye seemed to stare right through him for a moment or two, making him feel a little exposed, before the redhead turned around and returned to the training ring, not elaborating any more.

"Excuse me," the blue-haired asked, turning to his still-slightly-on-edge coworker, "why does Akashi wish to see me later?"

The brunette shook his head and turned to walk back into the stables, not making eye contact with Tetsuya. "He does that with all his new workhands." he replied quickly, walking further inside. "It's best not to talk about it."

Ryouta blinked at his instructor as he returned wearing an amused smirk. "What was that all about?" he asked without thinking.

The scarlet-haired looked at the prince critically. "They're my toys, Ryouta," he said firmly, "That's my business alone. Keep your attention on your own tasks." Shortly after saying that he abruptly resumed the brutal sessions, not giving the blond any more time to think about Kuroko Tetsuya.

* * *

Ryouta's whole body ached. His sessions with Akashi had been bad enough before, but since the intensity was tripled now, the blond felt like he would never be able to move ever again. On top of that, he heard from the stableboy about the scarlet-haired swordmaster wanting to meet with Tetsuya afterwards, which disappointed him a little because he really wanted to talk to the blue-haired again. So he decided to wait for him. He guessed the pale servant was in Akashi's office. That was forbidden enter-at-your-own-risk territory that Ryouta didn't want to go anywhere near, so he lingered around in the stables until Tetsuya emerged.

He didn't see the small male come out until several hours later, when the prince was starting to get concerned about what was going on in there. He was just gathering the courage to go knock on Akashi's door when he saw Tetsuya stumble out, leaning heavily on the wall, his breath coming in shallow pants. His pale skin was slightly flushed and his face glistened with a thin layer of sweat. Golden eyes filled with concern, the prince swiftly walked over to Tetsuya and lightly grabbed his arm to help support him. The smaller male was trembling, but stiffened completely at Ryouta's touch, quickly slapping his hand away and ran away from him in the other direction, leaving the prince standing there in the empty corridor staring after him, concerned and confused._ What happened in there?_ He was almost afraid to ask.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Hey, sorry for the late update...it's been really crazy and busy lately OTL And I apologize for any and all wording/grammar errors; I'm afraid I wrote most of this late at night when I was sleep deprived and hungry ^ ^;; I'll look over it later!**

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Tetsuya acted more invisible than usual; he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone, wouldn't speak to anyone, and tried to avoid people as much as possible, especially Seijuro and, in most cases, Ryouta. Not that the prince saw him that much lately anyway, considering how busy the swordmaster and his father were keeping him. There was always some sort of "official business" to take care of, or a formal event to attend in between his rigorous training sessions with the redhead. Because of that the tall blond tried relentlessly to try and communicate with the blue-haired stableboy, which was turning out to be just as hard as trying to catch a shadow. Ryouta reflected on that as he led his horse back into the stables after his session one afternoon while Seijuro was completing his inspection. Usually the young royal could sense Tetsuya's gaze on him every now and then, but ever since that "meeting" with Seijuro those eyes have been staring at nothing but the ground. The blond leisurely untacked and brushed down his own horse, carefully paying attention to his trainer as he sent additional orders to his two workhands. He unintentionally heard bits of the conversation while he was waiting.

"…needs a more thorough mucking, that old stallion over there still has dirt in his hooves…" Ryouta started to zone out while the redhead outlined his new set of instructions.

"…Tetsuya, your work has fallen way below my expectations." His voice was almost accusing. Hearing the servant's name renewed the prince's interest in the conversation. The blond stopped brushing the same part of his mare's neck and glanced in their general direction.

After a slight pause, Seijuro grabbed Tetsuya's chin and forced him to look into his eyes; the act was similar to that day when the prince did something similar, but here it was much more forceful, as if he was reaffirming ownership over his property. His eyes, crimson and gold, were sinister and commanding. Then the scarlet-haired said something Ryouta did not hear, and when the slightly shorter male visibly stiffened, he pulled away, still holding his chin. "Don't worry; I won't do anything this time." He said with a smirk. "We just need to discuss your…efficiency." Seijuro then roughly dropped the blue-haired's chin and crossed his arms. "Well?" It was phrased more like a command than a question. His gaze fell on both of his workhands, causing both workers to stiffen. "Get back to work." Without a word the two servants spun around and did as they were told. The prince abruptly resumed his own task as soon as he saw his instructor turn and walk directly towards him. "It's rude to eavesdrop, Ryouta." Seijuro said firmly as soon as he reached the blond's stall. The scarlet-haired only came up to Ryouta's shoulder and yet his presence made it seem like he towered over the prince.

Ryouta stiffened and opened his mouth to offer an explanation, but the swordmaster somehow knew exactly what he was going to say. "And I would appreciate it if you kept your distance from my workhands." It was a warning and a threat more than a request. "You have no business with them, especially when you have more important things to be focusing on." He lightly jabbed Ryouta with the hilt of his sword, startling the tall blond and causing him to stagger backward to lean against the stall wall for support. He stared up into his icy, dual-colored gaze for a moment before he strode past him and into his office, closing the door behind him.

"Um, excuse me." Came a familiar quiet voice from behind the prince. "I need to clean this stall."

The blond swung his head around to find Tetsuya standing a respective distance away, his head bowed so as not to make eye contact with his superior; his entire face was hidden from Ryouta. Standing up and adjusting his jacket, the prince cleared his throat. "That's perfectly fine," he replied, trying to sound warm and cheerful. "Do what you need to do." As he walked towards the blue-haired to exit the stall, he carefully scanned the area for any sign of Seijuro. Pleased that there was none, the blond quickly placed a hand on the stableboy's shoulder before he could slip past him unnoticed. "Hey," he said to the smaller male in a low voice, spinning him around to face him. "I need to talk to you." Ryouta could feel the blue-haired stiffen at his touch but he did not try to escape. His head remained bowed, refusing to look at him at all. "Why have you been avoiding me?" the prince asked somewhat urgently, now having both his hands on Tetsuya's hsoulders. "Have I done anything to hurt you?"

A long pause, then a small shake of the head. Ryouta sighed and pulled back the slightest bit. "Then…then what's wrong? You don't usually act like this."

Tetsuya's head raised a little bit, his lips parting slightly. Was that concern in his voice? "I'm fine," the pale boy answered quietly after his head had cleared, starting to lower his head again. "Please do not concern yourself with me, Your Highness."

The prince furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. "And why is that? Why is it so important that you keep your distance from me?" His voice was suddenly stronger, almost annoyed and a little hurt that the blue-haired could brush him off so easily. "If Akashicchi is making you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, I can have you transferred to a different stat—"

"Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty." Tetsuya interrupted, pushing away from the prince. "I do not need you to worry over me. It is unnecessary—"

"It's unnecessary that I care about you?" Ryouta blurted out without even thinking. His eyes widened, shocked that he said such a thing. The stableboy looked equally as shocked when he snapped his head up to look at the prince in surprise. Flustered, the blond adverted his gaze and fumbled with the gloves on his hands. "Ah, sorry, I…I don't know why I said that…" What the hell was he thinking? Why did he all of a sudden say something like that? As far as he knew, he didn't have any feelings whatsoever towards the pale boy called Kuroko Tetsuya. Sheepishly he peeked over at the blue-haired, who was still staring at him, slightly stunned. Quickly Ryouta turned back to him and grabbed both of his arms. "Look, I'm really sorry that happened, okay? I'll see what I can do about that transfer." He promptly released Tetsuya and walked swiftly in the other direction, still trying to figure out why he had said something so ridiculous. _He's never going to talk to me again, is he?_ The prince thought with a frown as he hastened down the corridors and into his bedroom.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: This is (hopefully) the last of the "set-up" chapters ^ ^;; I hope to have more juicy stuff in the next few chapters. People are giving me some really great ideas, so thank you!**

* * *

The king rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "You want him transferred because of…what, exactly?"

"He behaved out of line, father." Ryouta stood firm in front of his father, his hands neatly clasped behind his back. "I was speaking directly to him, and not only did he interrupt me but he made direct eye contact with me and completely disregarded everything I had to say to him." The tall prince was still confused and somewhat upset over his last encounter with the blue-haired stableboy, but even so he was determined to get Tetsuya that transfer so he wouldn't have to deal with Seijuro's tyranny. Much to the blond's frustration, however, his father was being incredibly stubborn and impatient with him.

"The boy is under Akashi's supervision." The elder royal retorted, his impatience finally starting to show in his voice. "If you want him transferred, you need to take it up with him. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"But Akashicchi's the other reason I want him to transfer!" Ryouta yelled with clenched fists, also starting to lose his patence. "Akashicchi makes him feel unsafe and uncomfortable, and the quality of his work is suffering because of it! Even Akashicchi himself said he isn't as efficient!"

The king sighed deeply as he sank back in his chair, still rubbing the bridge of his nose. When he finally spoke again, his voice was surprisingly quiet and calm; it make the young royal wary. "Just what do you hope to accomplish by transferring this boy?" he asked, his eyes closed as if to fight off an oncoming headache. "Where would you put him? There aren't any open positions anywhere."

Ryouta opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again. He hadn't thought that far ahead yet. The tall blond shifted the weight on his feet and resisted the urge to pace around the room, scrambling for an answer. His gold eyes fell to the floor and he stared at his feet fofr a long minute or two before his gaze returned to the other man in the room, still lacking any suggestions.

The king stared back at Ryouta and threw out his hands in exasperation. "Well?" he said rather impatiently. "Have you no answer?"

Again, the blond's mouth hung open stupidly as he desperately tried to come up with _something. _But all he could do was shrug.

"I see." his father replied with another sigh, his face and tone of voice disapproving and stern. "Kindly leave my office now, Ryouta." he added, gesturing toward the door. "I have work to do. I do not want to hear of any of this again."

Defeated and deflated, Ryouta bowed his head respectfully and turned to leave the room. He had just placed his hand on the door handle when an idea struck him. The prince half-turned. "He...could be my personal assistant." he suggested in a low, somewhat timid voice, hesitant to make eye contact with the king.

His father, who had already turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, slowly looked up from his work. "Excuse me?" his tone was the same as before. "Why do you think you need a personal assistant?"

"So I can-" he started to say, but caught himself and firmly clamped his mouth shut. Taking a deep breath, he rethought his response. "Just...think about it, okay? Good night, father." Having said that, Ryouta promptly left the room and shut the door behind him, heading straight upstairs into his room.

* * *

The tall blond paced up and down the length of his large bedroom, his mind a mess. Mostly he was thinking about what a personal assistant would even do for him, and how he was supposed to convince Seijuro to go through with the ransfer in the first place. Ryouta rubbed the back of his neck absently, muttering some things under his breath to himself. He barely even noticed the knock on his door when one of the lady servants came to announce that he had a visitor.

The servant knocked on the door a fourth time and poked her head inside the room. "Sire?" she said politely.

"What?" the prince, having been snapped out of his own thoughts, sounded slightly more alarmed annoyed than he felt.

"You have a visitor."

Ryouta blinked. "Oh," _How unusual,_ he thought. "Send them in, then." the blond turned around to straighten things up a bit for his surprise guest. When he turned back to the door again, he was even more surprised to find Tetsuya standing in front of the door. "Forgive my intrusion." he said in his quiet voice with a small bow, his blue eyes fixated on a spot on the floor.

The prince just stared at him for a moment, stunned, then vigorously shook his head and cleared his throat. "Not at all." he said loudly, motioning for the smaller male to come further into the room. "It's no intrusion; please, come in and make yourself comfortable."

Tetsuya nodded simply and walked forward, seating himself in an armchair across the room from Ryouta's bed and in front of the fireplace. The tall blond sat on the edge of his bed and rearded him. "You came to see me?" he asked curiously after a moment of silence. He watched the blue-haired nod again as the hands in his lap fidgeted nervously. "Speak to me freely," Ryouta added reassuringly but with a small frown. "there aren't any formalities in here."

The blue-haired sighed as if he had been holding his breath. Slowly and uncertainly he raised his head, still hesitant to make eye contact. Then, with a deep breath to prepare himself, he spoke. "First of all," he started nervously, "I would like to apologize to you. I was rude."

Ryouta nodded slowly, listening intently. "Go on," he encouraged. "What is it that's bothering you?"

The smaller male lowered his gaze a little. "Akashi-kun." he stated with a bit of hesitation. "I don't want to work for him anymore."

Now very interested in what the blue-haired had to say, the prince lifted himself off the bed and moved over to sit in the chair across from Tetusya's. "Why not?" he asked. "I know Akashicchi's scary, but what has he done to make you say that?"

"I'm used to harsh treatment and high standards," Tetsuya explained, "so the work itself I don't mind. In fact, I like it." The prince saw pale hands start to fidget again. "But Akashi-kun's methods of punishment and intimidation are...somewhat unconventional for me."

Ryouta creased his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you saying?"

The blue-haired gulped. "I'm saying he makes me uncomfortable, and I feel insecure whenever he's around."

"Hmm." The blond nodded gravely. "And that's why he said your work was declining...?" he added, mostly to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tetsuya nod. The prince sighed and looked directly at him. "Don't worry," he assured. "I spoke to my father just a little bit ago, asking him to transfer you to somewhere else. Would that help?"

The smaller males' face seemed to light up the tiniest bit, and he actually made eye contact with the blond. "Yes, that would help very much, thank you." He seemed relieved, which pleased Ryouta. But then he asked the same question his father had just asked him: "Where would I be transferred to?"

The prince chuckled uneasily and brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Well, uh..." he started to say, "You see, um...I don't know." the last three words hurt like stones coming out of his mouth. He looked up at the smaller male to see his face had fallen again. "My father said there are no open positions anywhere."

His face fell even more, and Ryouta felt terrible. "I see." came the blue-haired's emotionless response. "I appreciate your looking into-"

"So I told him to make you my personal assistant."

Slightly taken aback, Tetsuya raised his head again to look at the prince's embarassed face. Now he was the one avoiding eye contact. "What?" the blue-haired asked, trying not to get his hopes up.

The taller male sighed, still adverting his eyes. " I asked to make you my personal assistant." he repeated. "It was the only thing I could come up with."

"But," Tetsuya started, "how would that even work? What would I do?"

"I don't know!" the prince sounded almost exasperated. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. I just told him to think about it."

The blue-haired nodded and the two sat in silence for a while, each consumed in his own thoughts. "I promise you though, I'll definitely get you that transfer!" Ryouta blurted finally, looking directly at the smaller male. "There's no way you should work for Akashicchi if you feel unsafe around him." _Now if only I could tell Akashicchi that_, he added silently.

Tetsuya nodded again with the tiniest hint of a smile. "Thank you," he replied. "I really appreciate all your help."

The blond offered a wide grin in reply. "Of course!" he said cheerfully. His smile became more subtle as he rested his head on his hand, regarding the blue-haired male. His pale skin looked even more ghostly and transparent in the firelight, which was interesting, he thought, because it made his eyes look even more blue. The prince admired how the fire was reflected in those deep sapphire orbs when he noticed that Tetsuya was also looking into _his _eyes. And was that a trick of the light, or were his cheeks flushed pink again...?

Ryouta blinked several times. "So, um," he said loudly, straightening up in his chair, somehow unable to keep his eyes off the blue-haired for very long. "I was thinking..."

There was no trick of the light; Tetsuya's cheeks were _definitely _pink. He thought he could feel warmth in his own cheeks, as well.

"...about what you would do as my, um...personal assistant."

The smaller male blinked as if waking from a trance. "Yes?" was his response.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really know." he laughed nervously after a brief moment of silence. "But I'll figure that out soon, I promise!" he added quickly. "I was just going to ask you...what you want me to call you?"

Tetsuya blinked again. "I'm not sure I understand," he replied, sounding slightly confused. "You may call me whatever you want."

The blond caught hemself rubbing the back of this neck again. "Yeah, I thought you would say that," he said quietly. He cleared his throat. "Alright then...Kurokocchi." Ryouta added hesitantly. "Kurokocchi." he repeated with a smile. "I like it. It has a nice ring to it, Kurokocchi!" the young royal giggled like a little boy. "And Kurokocchi, you don't have to keep calling me 'Your Highness' all the time; I really hate how formal it sounds."

"Then what do I call you?"

Ryouta thought aloud for a moment. "Well, 'Ryouta' is a little too..." he coughed. "..._intimate_, so...just 'Kise' is fine."

The smaller male considered it briefly. "Alright." he replied.

The blond looked at him expectantly.

"...Kise-kun."

Ryouta beamed. The prince then glanced up at the clock on the mantel. "Oh my, it's getting really late." He stood up, stretched, and looked over at Tetsuya, who was also standing. He smiled at him and, without even thinking, placed his hand on the back of his shoulder as he walked the blue-haired to the door. He tried to ignore the fact that Tetsuya never pulled away from him. When they reached the door, Ryouta turned to the smaller male and said "I hope things will work out so you can work for me, Kurokocchi." Then again, he did something without even thinking: he hugged Tetsuya. Luckily he caught himself relatively quickly, so the embrace only lasted a moment or two. The tall blond then took a step back and just stared at the blue-haired with apologetic eyes.

The smaller male looked a little off-guard for a split second before responding "I...hope so too, Kise-kun." With that, he turned and let himself out of the room, slowly closing the door behind him.

Ryouta let out a long sigh and leaned up against the wall, slowly sinking to the ground. "What the hell is happening to me?" he asked himself, running one hand through his hair. "Every time he's around, I turn into this brainless idiot. Only when Kurokocchi's around!" The prince sighed again and looked up towards the ceiling. "Still," he admitted with a certain earnestness in his tone, "I do wish I could see him more often, spend more time with him..." He brought his gaze down to his palm, the one he had rested on Tetsuya's shoulder, then chuckled a little bit. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, huh?"


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's note: Finally, an update~ TTvTT I actually have a concrete plot line for the remainder of the fic, so hopefully (if I don't have too much homework ^ ^;;) I should be updating sooner now~! /immediately goes working on next chapter**

* * *

Ryouta talked to his father first thing the next morning. Thanks to Tetsuya, he wouldn't have to explain anything to Seijuro after all. The king, who had brought the blue-haired into talk to him personally, felt that since he was so uncomfortable around the swordsmaster, he would have him transferred immediately. The prince was elated after hearing this news; he had people fit Tetsuya for his new uniform right away, and even made arrangements for his new sleeping quarters, which was to be the spare chamber right next to Ryouta's bedroom.

"Is this really necessary?" Tetsuya asked politely as he stood on top of a low wooden stool, his arms fully extended for the seamstresses who were taking his measurements. The added height made him almost eye level with the blond.

"Of course it is, Kurokocchi," Ryouta replied with a subdued smile. "As my new assistant, you're pretty much going to be following me like a shadow, so you'll have to look nice! Is there anything wrong with that?"

"I didn't say there was."

"Good." The prince turned to one of the seamstresses. "How much more time do you need?"

The woman stood up from measuring the length of Tetsuya's leg. "We're almost finished, Your Highness." She said. "The clothes themselves should be ready in a few hours, if we get started on them right away."

Ryouta nodded. "Glad to hear it. If they can be finished by three o'clock, that would be fantastic."

"We'll see what we can do." The woman gave Tetsuya a light pat. "All done, Kuroko. You can step down now."

The blue-haired nodded his thanks to the seamstress and stepped down off the stool; Ryouta reached out to help him down as if he were a lady stepping out of a carriage, but thought better of it and resisted. The prince also acknowledged the ladies before he happily led Tetsuya down the hall into his new bedroom, eager to help him place all the furniture that he had brought out of storage for him.

"Your room is basically an extension of mine," the tall blond explained as they walked down the corridor together. "so it's really convenient in case I need you for anything, or vice versa."

Tetsuya nodded. "That makes sense" was all he said. They entered the blue-haired's room and immediately started decorating, although it was Ryouta who made most of the decisions because Tetsuya said he didn't have any preferences as to where anything went. A while later a messenger came in, looking for the prince. "The king would like to see you in his office," he said. "His Majesty has an assignment for you."

The blond nodded. "Understood." He replied. "I'll be right down." The messenger clicked his heels, bowed, and left.

Tetsuya looked up at him. "Do you need me to come with you?" he asked.

The prince shrugged. "I don't know. You can if you want to, I suppose."

"What I want is irrelevant. You're the one who's supposed to tell me what to do."

Ryouta sighed. "I don't think I'll need you for this," he said finally. "he's just giving us an assignment; I'll be right back, okay? I promise!" the blond smiled and gave the smaller male a light pat on the back before leaving the room.

On his way to his father's office he heard two men arguing. Turning his head towards the noise Ryouta saw two rather intimidating-looking men in what seemed to be a heated debate about something. The blond couldn't really tell what they were arguing about, but he ran over as soon as weapons and death threats started being mentioned. "Hey, _hey!_" The prince said in a loud, commanding voice, trying to at least sound as formidable as the other two men looked. "Break it up, you two!"

The taller of the two, who was easily a head taller than Ryouta, spat at his feet and cracked his knuckles, staring down at him. "Oh yeah?" the man challenged. "What the hell are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?"

The blond glared up at him, his own voice lowering to an icy whisper. "I could have you hanged for that." He replied, his gold eyes narrowed and penetrating. "Get out of here or you will be."

They stared at each other for a few long, suspenseful moments before the taller man finally backed down, the look on his face showing how disgusted he was for losing a stare-down to a stuck-up spoiled brat. He turned and left without a word, followed closely by the man he had been arguing with, who looked over his shoulder once as they left, a strangely amused look on his face.

When they were out of sight, Ryouta let out the breath he had unintentionally been holding and deflated a little. "Whew, I'm glad that worked." He said to himself. "I thought for sure they were going to beat me up!"

Meanwhile, the tall, muscular man angrily slammed his fist into a nearby stone wall. "That bastard!" he snarled, grinding his teeth. "Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?!"

The other man, who was just as muscular and only slightly shorter, sneered, thoroughly enjoying the other's suffering. "Not many people are talented enough to get under your skin like that, Haizaki," he replied calmly, fully intending to rub salt in his wound. "Usually it's the other way around."

He succeeded. "Go fuck yourself, Hanamiya." The look Haizaki was giving him could kill anyone else.

"Does this mean I win?" Hanamiya grinned.

Haizaki held his gaze for a while without saying anything, then turned his back on him and grumbled, "We'll do it your way."

The shorter man's smile could not get any bigger. "Ooh, I bet those words must've _hurt!_"

The taller man scowled even more in reply.

* * *

"Am I clear, Ryouta? Do you understand everything you need to do?"

"Yes, father, I understand." The blond resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It's a simple task, really. I don't' need a rehearsal."

The king's face remained as placid as ever. "Don't you dare say anything foolish again. Remember what happened last time I sent you out on an errand."

"But that was an accident!"

"Irrelevant. You embarrassed all of us."

Ryouta huffed. "I did apologize…"

"So you did." The king took a deep breath. "You'd better get ready now; you leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Why not today?" the blond was curious.

"There have been reports of theft, abductions, and murders on the road at night recently. With the amount of distance you and Kuroko have to cover, it's too dangerous to send you out now with an expensive gift." His father explained. "Besides, it's rude for one to visit a lady after dark."

Ryouta nodded. "Right." He bowed his head slightly. "Good night, father."

It had already gotten considerably darker outside by the time the prince finally left the king's office. As Ryouta approached the staircase on his way back to his room, he cast a wary eye on the spot where those two intimidating men were fighting earlier. A shiver went up the blond's spine; somehow he got the feeling he hadn't seen the last of them, but he tried to ignore it as he jogged up the stairs to check up on Tetsuya.

"Welcome back, Kise-kun."

Ryouta stood still in the doorway, completely speechless. Tetsuya's room was finished, and everyone had left except for the blue-haired himself, who was standing in the middle of the room, wearing his new uniform; a dashing black suit, complete with a pair of simple white gloves, black shoes, and a thin black ribbon tied in a loose bow knot around his neck, under the collar of his white undershirt.

The shorter male shifted nervously on his feel when the blond still hadn't moved since arriving in the room. "You know it's rude to stare, Kise-kun." He said, his voice not showing any uneasiness.

"A-ah, yes, sorry," Ryouta managed to say, blinking hard once or twice. "Wow…you look _great_." He added as he walked further into the room. The taller male looked around him as he took a few more steps toward the blue-haired. "A-and the room looks really nice, too!"

Tetsuya smiled, causing the blond's cheeks to heat up. "Thank you," he said, making his smile seem that much more sincere. Ryouta resisted the urge to hug him; he looked so…_attractive_ like this. But the smile disappeared just as fast as it appeared as the blue-haired turned to stare more directly at the prince. "And thank you for all your help with everything today, Kise-kun."

Ryouta grinned at the smaller male. "Of course!" he said warmly. "Anything to help you feel more comfortable here."

"That's hardly necessary, considering I am only your servant."

"Assistant, Kurokocchi." The blond corrected, holding up a finger. "You moved up in status. And why does it seem like you're always trying to undermine my efforts to make you feel more at home here?"

"I don't need to be pampered, Kise-kun."

"I just want you to be happy…"

"Pampering doesn't bring happiness; you of all people should know that."

"You don't sound very grateful, Kurokocchi." The prince said with a frown, his eyes narrowing slightly as his weakness was revealed. "I'm happy to have you working for me, and this is how I show it. If you don't like it, I can always just take it all back and send you back to being a stableboy." Ryouta saw the blue-haired stiffen at his last statement, and he wished he could take his words back just as soon as he had said them. The blond turned around to hide his face from Tetsuya. "We have to leave early tomorrow morning to deliver a gift." The prince said quickly, wanting to change the subject and forget what he had just said. "Meet me in front of the castle at seven o'clock. Good night, Kurokocchi." Ryouta promptly exited the room through the door that connected it with his own bedroom, leaving the blue-haired standing there, not even hearing his reply.


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's note: The cliffhanger is intentional; I have a clear-cut plan for what happens in the remainder of the fic. The end is coming soon! I anticipate two more chapters after this one; MAYBE a third, but most likely two.  
**

* * *

Ryouta turned over in his bed, trying to get some sleep. What time was it? How long had he been laying there? The prince groaned; he had at one point fallen into a somewhat uneasy sleep, but woke up an hour later in a cold sweat after having a rather unsettling dream. He forgot most of it after he woke up, but it had something to do with Tetsuya and those two men he met yesterday. Ever since then the blond had been tossing and turning all night, thoughts constantly swimming around in his head. He was just starting to doze off again when he felt something jab his side. He groaned again and pulled the blanket tighter around his body, trying to ignore it.

"Kise-kun." Said a soft voice as the jabbing continued insistently.

"_What?_" Ryouta whined finally, not moving from under his blanket.

"You have to get up."

"Why?"

"The assignment."

The prince pouted and, after lying still for a few moments, reluctantly sat up in bed, glancing sleepily around the room, looking for the blue-haired. He didn't see anyone in the room. "Kurokocchi?" He blinked, opening his eyes a little more._ Was I dreaming? I could have sworn Kurokocchi was actually here…_

"Kise-kun."

Ryouta blinked again and saw Tetsuya standing right in front of him. The blond yelled in surprise and jumped. The shorter male was already in his uniform, aside from his gloves, but his sky-blue hair looked as though a tornado had gone through it. "Kurokocchi, what happened to _you?_"

The blue-haired looked up and put a hand on his head. "Nothing." He said simply. "I just woke up myself."

"I thought I told you to meet me outside." Ryouta frowned, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"You weren't up yet." Tetsuya explained. "It's nearly seven o'clock."

Finally standing up, the blond stretched and walked over to his wardrobe, picking out a navy blue military-style jacket and trousers with a pair of white gloves. "You can go downstairs and wait for me by the carriage." Ryouta told the smaller male with a sigh, laying out his clothes on his bed and removing his bed shirt to put on a white undershirt. He did not make eye contact with Tetsuya. "I'll be down in five minutes."

The blue-haired inclined his head and left the room without a word, leaving the prince alone to change. He did so somewhat methodically; a lot of things were running through his head: the assignment today, those two men from yesterday, his dream from the previous night, and especially the disagreement (argument?) with Tetsuya…could that have been why he couldn't sleep? The blond sighed and shook his head, buttoning his jacket; sure, he really did regret what he had said to him, but Tetsuya was being unreasonable, wasn't he? After all, he did all of that for the blue-haired simply because he _wanted_ to, and what was wrong with that?

"_Pampering doesn't bring happiness."_

Ryouta frowned as he thought back on Tetsuya's words. He was right; the prince had gotten everything he wanted all his life. But was he happy? _No_, and for some reason he really hated the fact that the blue-haired knew that.

Adjusting the gloves on his hands, the blond sighed and left his room to meet his assistant. _Whatever_, Ryouta shrugged, trying to keep himself positive. _It'll all work eventually, won't it?_

Tetsuya and the carriage driver were already waiting for the prince by the time he arrived at the front of the palace. The blue-haired was holding a somewhat small, cloth-wrapped box, a small frown on his pale face but his expression otherwise unreadable. "You're late." He said, his voice flat.

The blond frowned at his assistant. "Only by three minutes…" he retorted in a low voice.

Instead of initiating an argument like Ryouta anticipated, the smaller male simply turned and entered the carriage. Not receiving a reply at all perhaps bothered the prince even more than their disagreements for some reason. _Calm down, Ryouta, he's probably just still tired or something._ He told himself before he followed Tetsuya into the carriage.

* * *

The journey to their destination was spent in virtually complete silence; any attempts at conversation made by Ryouta were thwarted with either a one-word answer or a non-verbal response by the blue-haired. The prince was almost relieved when they finally arrived. He nearly jumped out of the carriage and stretched, breathing in the fresh air. They were in a lovely little village on the edge of a forest; he remembered his father wondering in a slightly disapproving tone why royalty would choose to live in a middle-class town such as this, but Ryouta didn't see anything wrong with it. Everything just seemed more relaxed. Glancing over at his assistant, who had gotten out on the other side, he saw that his whole face seemed brighter, like he was reliving a happy memory. The blue-haired was looking all around him, the tiniest smile creeping on to his face. Which, of course, disappeared immediately when he looked at the prince as he spoke. "I think the house we're looking for is over there." Ryouta said, pointing to a larger cottage a few paces away from where the carriage had stopped. Tetsuya simply nodded and followed slightly behind the blond as they walked up to the house.

Ryouta knocked on the door, and the two of them stood in uncomfortable silence as they waited for the door to be answered, both avoiding each other's eyes. The blond was just about to attempt to break the silence when the door was finally answered by a tall, bay-skinned man with short, midnight-blue colored hair. He had a fierce look in his eyes and was obviously the kind of man not to be messed with, regardless of his status. The man's expression brightened considerably, however, when he noticed the pale assistant standing behind the prince. "Tetsu!" The man grinned, pushing the door wide open and inviting the guests inside and swinging his muscular arm around Tetsuya. "I haven't seen you in forever! And you're actually okay!"

The sky-blue-haired looked up at him with a small smile, the same smile he used to give Ryouta. The prince frowned. "It's good to see you too, Aomine-kun. It's been a while." The smaller male's smile widened, which caused the blond's frown to deepen. "A lot has happened since I last saw you."

Ryouta took a deep breath to keep himself from losing his temper and cleared his throat rather loudly, feeling annoyed and neglected. "We're here to deliver a gift to Lady Momoi." The blond announced with a concealed huff.

Aomine Daiki looked up and blinked at the blond, who was just barely shorter than him, as if he had appeared out of nowhere. "Ah," he said, no longer smiling. "Yeah, lemme take you to her." He removed his arm from around Tetsuya's neck and led the way through a couple different rooms until they entered a cozy, warmly-lit room with comfortable-looking conversational furniture. A large fireplace was located at the front of the room, a healthy fire crackling inside of it. In front of the fireplace was a huge circular rug with intricate designs on it; there were four armchairs and two side tables arranged in a circle around a circular coffee table on top of the rug. The whole room felt very comfortable and homey. Sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire was Momoi Satsuki: a fair-skinned lady with long, cherry blossom pink hair tastefully pulled back. Her eyes and lips matched the color of her hair, and she was wearing a simple but elegant olive green dress with a pair of elbow-length white gloves. She was elegantly sipping on her cup of tea, and there was more tea set out for them on the coffee table. "Welcome, Kise Ryouta." She said in a soft, welcoming voice, a subdued smile on her face. "I've been expecting you." She set down her teacup. "And I hear you have your own assistant now. Did you bring him along, too?"

The small male stepped out from behind Daiki, still holding the cloth-wrapped box. "Hello, Momoi-san." He said politely. "It's good to see you again."

The woman's face lit up. "Tetsu-kun!" she almost jumped out of her seat, walking briskly over to meet him and giving him a big hug. "How are you? I thought something awful must have happened to you when you didn't return! I was so worried!"

Despite such a warm greeting, Tetsuya's expression didn't change. "I apologize for not writing to you. They have kept me very busy at the palace."

Satsuki nodded, putting both her hands on his shoulders. "I understand; I'm just glad you're okay! You didn't get into any big trouble for that accident, did you? Aomine told me all about what happened."

The blue-haired shook his head. "Not really. Kise-kun was really kind to me."

"Really? I'm so relieved." She turned to Ryouta, who was starting to feel ignored again, with a smile on her elegant face. "Thank you for looking after him, Kise. Tetsu-kun's been a really good friend to me over the years, and I would have been upset if something bad happened to him."

Ryouta nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. "No problem at all, My Lady," he said politely, "Kurokocchi's also been really great; I wouldn't want anything to happen to him, either."

The woman waved her hand at the prince, "Please, no need to be so formal," she said, turning to go back to her seat. "Just call me Momoi." The blond blinked but nodded. She sat down, and motioned for her two guests to sit as well, which they did. "Would you like some tea?" When they both nodded, she picked up the teapot herself and poured tea for them.

Taking the teacup from Satsuki, Ryouta took a sip and remembered why they were there. "We brought a gift for you, Momoi," he said, setting his cup down on the side table. "My father hoped we may form some sort of alliance."

Tetsuya presented the box to the woman, who took it with a small chuckle. "Your father is always trying to make alliances as if there was a war brewing."

The prince shrugged. "He just gets paranoid, I guess."

Satsuki gave a small smile, briefly glancing at Ryouta as she undid the cloth on the box. "Paranoid about what, I wonder?" The blond frowned, wondering how to interpret her remark as she opened the box and pulled out a beautiful diamond necklace. "It's beautiful," the pink-haired lady commented with a smile and a small giggle. "So this is how your father gains friends. He buys them over with expensive, flattering gifts."

Ryouta's frown deepened, narrowing his eyes a little bit. "And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, sounding a little more sinister than he intended. "I hope that wasn't an insult."

The woman seemed completely unphased by the blond's rudeness. "Not at all," she replied in a calm, even tone. "I fully understand your father's intentions, and did not mean to criticize or insult him in any way. You may tell your father that I am happy to receive and accept his gift and his offer."

The prince stood up slowly. "Excellent." He said with another forced smile, noticing Tetsuya silently finishing his tea. He perhaps sounded a little too eager to leave despite the delicious tea and the warm, comfortable room, but he just wanted to go home where he didn't feel quite so ignored. "I will tell him exactly that. Thank you." Ryouta bowed slightly.

Satsuki nodded her head politely. "You're more than welcome. It was good to finally meet you, Kise." She stood up as well, smiling at Tetsuya as he rose from his seat as well. She led them to the door herself, Ryouta noticing that Daiki was strangely absent. Choosing not to comment on it, he just stood politely as her and Tetsuya said their good-bye's to each other. "Please write, okay Tetsu? I miss hearing from you; Aomine does too, despite what he might say!" The blue-haired only smiled and nodded in reply, but his eyes said that he would make sure to keep this promise.

Both the prince and his assistant waved to the lady as they got back in the carriage; Satsuki waved back until the carriage was almost out of sight, Daiki walking up to her with a frown on his face. Seeing this expression from him, the pink-haired's face also changed. "What's wrong, Aomine?"

The bay-skinned man watched as the carriage drove off, narrowing his eyes. "I saw some guys messin' with that ride." He said in a low voice. "Not sure if they actually did anything or not, but I know they were over there, and they were gone by the time I got over there."

Satsuki creased her pink eyebrows as she and Daiki looked at the spot on the horizon where the carriage had just disappeared out of view, behind the sinking sun. "Tetsu-kun…Kise-kun…" She said absently, silently praying that they would reach their home safely.

* * *

The ride home started out as silent as the trip to meet Satsuki. This time, however, Ryouta found himself lost in thought. For some reason, as soon as they left, he couldn't stop thinking about the dream he had last night. The blond tried as hard as he could to try and remember it, but no matter what he did he just couldn't. After a while, he made an attempt to converse with the smaller male to reduce his growing frustration.

"So she's your old employer?" The blond started to say.

The blue-haired only nodded in reply, his eyes not even flickering in Ryouta's direction.

"You two seem pretty close."

"We're friends." Tetsuya said dryly.

"Oh." Ryouta responded, ending the conversation abruptly. The blond frowned a little at yet another foiled attempt to talk with him, and resorted to staring absently out the window. His mind wandered back to the two men that were arguing yesterday. What were they talking about? Something involving weapons…

"Kurokocchi?" He said, somewhat tentatively, eventually facing forward again.

No response.

"I…I meant to give you something. For your protection." Ryouta rubbed the back of his neck, catching the blue-haired's curious expression out of the corner of his eye. "Um…cause…I want you to be safe, in case something happens, you know?" The prince chuckled nervously.

There was a long pause; the blond thought he wasn't going to respond at all until he heard his sweet, soft voice cut through the silence. "Okay." Tetsuya said finally. "That is a nice gesture, Kise-kun. When were you planning on giving it to me?"

That was when Ryouta started to become flustered. "Well, um…you see," He fumbled for words. "I was planning on giving it to you today, but I forgot to bring it with me. It's still on the mantle in my bedroom." The blond finally gathered the courage to look Tetsuya directly, a little smile on his face. "I promise I'll give it to you once we get back though, okay?"

Tetsuya did not smile back, but at least he didn't look away. The smaller male nodded and said "Thank you" before looking forward again, his gloved hands folded neatly in his lap. Ryouta looked down at those small hands, suddenly longing to hold them, to break through the obvious barrier between them, and to make things go back to how they used to be. The prince frowned and stared at the ground. _Why did I have to be such an ass to him?_ He thought angrily. _All I wanted was to make him happy._ After a few moments of silently scolding himself, he finally came to the realization that in order to mend their relationship, he would have to swallow his pride and apologize. Taking a deep breath, the blond turned toward his assistant again. "Kurokocchi—"

Ryouta was cut off when they felt a crash from beneath them and the carriage lurched to one side, causing the prince to fall on top of the blue-haired, his hand slamming against the carriage door, almost breaking it open. "Ah, ow…" he complained softly, rubbing a sore spot in the back of his head.

"Kise-kun, you're heavy." Tetsuya said, his voice strained.

"Ah, sorry Kurokocchi." The prince struggled to readjust himself in the tipped carriage so the smaller male could breathe. Once situated, Ryouta slid the window open and called to the driver. "What happened?"

"My apologies, Kise-sama," the driver said; he was on the ground on the other side of the carriage, examining the damage. "Somehow one of the axles malfunctioned and snapped. We managed to lose a wheel, t—ugh!" Ryouta heard the driver collapse on the ground, along with some rustling.

Alarmed, the prince almost called out to the driver again, but then clamped his mouth shut. He brought his head back inside the carriage and fumbled around for the knife he kept in his boot. Slipping it out, he clutched the handle firmly and instinctively grabbed Tetsuya's arm with his other hand. "Whatever happens, stay in here." He whispered urgently to the blue-haired. The blond meant to go out and fight off the intruder himself, since Tetsuya was defenseless. If there was only one, maybe he had a chance…

Suddenly both doors were swung open forcefully; long, muscular arms reached inside to drag out the passengers. Ryouta swung the dagger relentlessly at the pair of arms reaching for Tetsuya, not even seeing the pair grabbing him. One huge hand grabbed the prince's wrist and twisted hard, causing him to scream in pain and drop his knife, allowing the man outside to yank him out of the carriage, his body scraping on the rough gravel road. Ryouta scrambled to his feet, one eye closed to block out stinging pain from the scrape on his temple. Looking up, he recognized the formidable frame of the man he had confronted the day before. The blond's one eye widnened. "You…!" He managed to say as the man quickly caught up with him; he seemed to be even taller than he was before.

_"Kise-kun!"_

A giant wave of fear swept over the prince as Tetsuya's panicked shriek rang through his ears. All other sound was muted as the man swung his giant arm at Ryouta's head; he blacked out before he even hit the ground.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's note: I decided to be a sadist and spread it out over three chapters. Sorry! XD actuallynotsorry**

* * *

Tetsuya felt like he was drifting. He didn't know where he was or how long he had been there; his memories before this were extremely fuzzy, as well. The only thing he knew was pain. Every part of his body hurt, and any attempt to move sent shooting pains up through his skull. The blue-haired slowly tried opening his eyes, squeezing them shut again when blinding light seared his vision; the pain caused him to groan softly. The voices he could hear around him sounded distant and faint, but gradually became clearer as he regained consciousness. "Ki…se-kun…?" He whispered absently.

_"…-kun, I think…waking up now…"_

_ "...king. Let him in."_

_ "Where's the nurse? _He looks pale…"

"Would somebody please get him something for his pain?!"

The blue-haired flinched at the amount of noise that was present in the room. Again his eyes slowly opened, taking his in his surroundings a little bit at a time. He seemed to be back at the castle, but if he was, this room was unfamiliar to him. There were people buzzing all around him, and he didn't know what was going on. Tetsuya closed his eyes again as he started to remember some things: the conversation with Satsuki and Daiki, Ryouta had been telling him something…

"…Kuroko-kun?" Someone was shaking him; he had a familiar voice. "Kuroko-kun, can you hear me?"

"Y-yes…" came Tetsuya's weak response. He finally opened his eyes all the way and saw Kouki kneeling beside him with a hand on his shoulder. "Furihata-kun…how did I…?"

The sandy-haired male frowned, looking worried. "All I know is that you showed up here slumped over a horse and beat up almost beyond recognition, a message attached to your jacket." When he saw the paler male's perplexed expression, he elaborated. "We all got worried when you and Kise-sama didn't return on schedule, but the entire town's been in a panic ever since we found you. And you've been out for so long, we didn't know if you were alive or dead!"

"When…?" The blue-haired asked, his throat hoarse.

"Almost two days ago."

Tetsuya's eyes widened. "Kise-kun…?"

Kouki shook his head gravely. "He's missing. The king's the only one who's seen the message that was sent along with you, but I don't know if he actually knows where he is."

The blue-haired was terrified. Ryouta had been missing for two days; what had happened to him since then? He didn't know, but his first thought was to find out. Ignoring the searing pain in his head and limbs, Tetsuya shifted and tried to sit up, but a hand on his shoulder forced him back down.

"Don't get up, Tetsuya." said a voice from behind him, his voice gentle but firm. "You're still too weak."

The paler male looked up as Seijuro walked around to his other side, followed closely by the king. Despite his calm appearance, Tetsuya could tell that the royal was worried to the point of exhaustion, and it showed on his face. The elder man cleared his throat as he approached Tetsuya. "Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" The king asked somewhat hesitantly.

Tetsuya searched his memories. He remembered having tea and talking with Daiki and Satsuki, and a silent carriage ride…but after that, there was nothing but hazy bits of conversation and darkness. Frowning, the blue-haired shook his head gravely. "I'm afraid I do not," he said finally. "Everything is…hazy, at the moment." He could feel the king's desperate gaze burning into him, and the shorter male slowly met his eyes. "But I promise to inform you once I do remember."

The blue-haired was trying to be at least somewhat reassuring, but it didn't seem to be working. The royal sighed heavily and bowed his head. "Alright," he replied with feigned confidence. "In the meantime…please, get well." The king flashed a forced smile at him before quickly turning and leaving the room.

Tetsuya winced and rubbed his temple as the door slammed shut. Seijuro gently squeezed his shoulder. "If I may ask," the pale man asked the him. "What did the message say?"

The redhead frowned. "It doesn't concern you, Tets—"

"It concerns Kise-kun." The blue-haired blurted, loud enough to make his head throb again. Kouki's eyes widened at the fact that he would dare interrupt Seijuro the weaponsmaster. "Therefore it concerns me."

Seijuro raised an eyebrow, intrigued that the quiet boy that came to work here two months ago would now be so attached to Ryouta. "You know you can't do anything for another day at least," he told him. "You need time to recover, Tetsuya."

The blue-haired frowned. "Please, just tell me."

The swordmaster sighed. "Very well," Seijuro said. If he was that adamant, it wouldn't do any good to keep information from him. "The message said this: _'One week to deliver Kise royal heirlooms to the crossroads outside of town, or your prince dies.'_"

Tetsuya's heart sank. It had already been two days; how much more time could they afford to lose. "What has the king decided to do?" The blue-haired ask, not letting his panic show on his face or in his voice.

Seijuro shook his head. "He hasn't decided anything yet." He explained. "He was hoping you would remember the faces of the abductors so he could possibly negotiate with them."

The smaller male shook his head. "Negotiations are not an option, Akashi-kun." He said firmly.

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How are you so sure about that?" His voice was challenging. "You don't know them, do you?"

Tetsuya shook his head again, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to remember what happened. "I know…they sabotaged the carriage…" He said carefully, the memories faint and distant, like a fading dream. "I think there were two of them…but they attacked right away; there was no warning." The blue-haired sighed. His head felt like it had been smashed against a boulder, and trying to recover his memories wasn't helping at all; it was making him dizzy and nauseous, but he needed to remember. Ryouta was in trouble, and he was the only one that could help.

Seijuro nodded and squeezed Tetsuya's shoulder again. "Take a break from raking your brain and rest," he said; it didn't sound like a request. "You won't get better any faster by forcing yourself to remember. I will check on you tomorrow and take you to your room." The redhead looked at Kouki, silently telling him to come back to the stables in five minutes, before turning around and leaving the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Kouki leaned forward, a look of concern still on his face. Akashi-kun's right, you know." He said, trying to calm down the blue-haired. "You need to take it easy for a bit and get better. I know you're worried about Kise-sama, but you can't go find him or anything until you're well again."

The paler male nodded his head reluctantly. "I know, Furihata-kun." He admitted. "I will try and sleep."

His answer seemed to please the brunette, for he smiled and looked slightly relieved. "Good," he replied, moving to stand up. "Is there anything you need before I leave? I have more work to do, but it can wait if you need me to do something."

Tetsuya shook his head. "No, thank you." He said. "I'm fine." His last statement was, obviously, a lie, but he also noticed that he was getting more exhausted every time he tried thinking, and just wanted to be alone at this point.

Kouki nodded. "Okay," he said, seeming to understand Tetsuya's thoughts. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. I hope you feel better, Kuroko-kun." With that, he stood up and left the room, leaving Tetsuya alone.

The blue-haired closed his eyes and tried to relax. A million thoughts were swimming through his mind at that moment, but somehow he managed to fall into a light, troubled sleep.

* * *

His head felt slightly clearer the next morning when he woke up, though it was still throbbing. He was finally able to sit up, and was nibbling on a slice of bread when Seijuro came in, talking to the nurse about his condition before approaching the blue-haired. "You seem to be feeling better." The redhead commented with a subdued smile.

Tetsuya nodded. "Slightly," he replied simply. "Thank you for asking."

Seijuro's eyes casually inspected the state of his body. It was indeed in slightly better shape than when he arrived, but his eye was still swollen and purple, and a good amount of his pale body was covered in bandages. It almost made the redhead shiver, thinking back to how bad he looked when they found him on that horse three days ago. Tetsuya was almost unrecognizable; his face smeared with drying blood and covered with gashes and bruises, his clothes wrinkled and torn in places. If it weren't for tightly he had been tied to the saddle and to the horse itself, he never would have made it to the palace in the first place. "I'll take you to your room, if you are able to walk."

The blue-haired set aside his bread, having lost interest in it a while ago. "I'll be fine." He said plainly, slowly swinging his legs over the side of the bed and moving to stand. This proved more difficult than he had anticipated; as he put weight on his legs, they wobbled and threatened to give out. Tetsuya braced himself on the edge of the bed, trying to balance himself.

In one stride Seijuro was beside the blue-haired, slipping an arm around his waist and supporting him. The smaller male accepted the help and clung onto his shoulder as he stood up, eventually able to steady himself. "Thank you, Akashi-kun." Tetsuya said when he felt more comfortable on his feet.

Seijuro nodded, his arm still around the blue-haired's waist. "Of course." He replied simply, motioning toward the door. "Shall we?"

Tetsuya frowned a little bit, a little uncomfortable with the fact that the redhead still had his arm around him, but he said nothing about it. He nodded, and slowly made their way out of the room, the weaponsmaster adjusting to his pace.

"As for your clothes," Seijuro started as they made their way down the hall, breaking the silence and perhaps sensing the blue-haired's slight discomfort at walking around in a patient gown, "I've already ordered a new uniform to be made. It should be laid out for you by now."

"That's very kind of you." Tetsuya replied, allowing the redhead help him up the stairs one at a time. Conversing with his previous employer was still a little awkward for him, even after Seijuro had explained the intention behind his actions, so for the most part the blue-haired did his best to avoid it altogether.

When they finally reached the door to his bedroom, Tetsuya couldn't hold back a sigh of relief. A task that normally took him under 10 seconds to complete now seemed like a hard day's work to the smaller male. After seeing Seijuro's amused smirk the blue-haired removed his arm from the other's shoulder and bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you again for all your help, Akashi-kun," he said politely. "I really appreciate your kindness."

Seijuro chuckled, slowly withdrawing his arm from around Tetsuya's waist and mimicking the blue-haired's formal attitude and courtesy. "Of course," the redhead replied in an equally polite tone. "Anything to help out a friend." After seeing Tetsuya's lips curve downward a tiny bit he added, "I trust you don't still hold a grudge against me for what I did."

"I wouldn't call it a grudge," The blue-haired frowned, a unamused, flat tone in his voice. "More like...discomfort."

The swordmaster smiled again, unphased. "Well like I told you before, it is a matter of establishing control; I had no intention of causing you to feel afraid or unsafe."

Tetsuya took in his words of what seemed to be an apology and nodded cautiously. "I realize that now," he said slowly, "however I still believe I made the right choice; I'm happier now that I have been working for Kise-kun."

Seijuro's smile grew as he nodded, his eyes seeing right down to the deeper meaning of his words. "You care for him, don't you Tetsuya?"

The blue-haired blinked, taken slightly off-guard at the comment. "Yes." He said after a slight pause, perhaps realizing his true feelings for the first time.

The redhead's eyes softened. "I see." He answered simply. "Well then. You know where to find me if you need anything further. For now, I will leave you to your business, and will have food sent up to you later. Good night, Tetsuya."

"Good night, Akashi-kun." Tetsuya said to him as Seijuro turned and descended the stairs, leaving the smaller male alone in the corridor. Shivering slightly, he entered his room and shut the door behind him, slowly making his way to the chair by his bed and sat. No longer having any company, he turned to his fragmented memories, attempting to piece them together again. Though his head was clearer than the day before, his attempts did not seem that much more successful. However, the longer Tetsuya sat, he found that he was able to recover bits of the conversation he had with Ryouta in the carriage. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember the scene more clearly.

_"..give you something. For your protection." _Ryouta seemed flustered, almost nervous. Tetsuya remembered being upset with the prince; was he trying to apologize?

_"I was planning on giving it to you today, but I forgot…" _What was he going to give him? Where could he find it? The memory was starting to fade; Tetsuya thought hard, trying almost desperately to remember.

_"…on the mantle in my bedroom."_

Tetsuya's eyes snapped open. With a sudden sense of urgency, he wobbled to his feet and made his way to the side door that connected his room with the Ryouta's. The prince's room had an eerie feel to it; it acted as a reminder of the blond's absence. Stopping periodically to check his balance, which was steadily improving, he walked straight for the grand fireplace next to the huge bed, the fire inside long since died away. Struggling to stand on his toes, the blue-haired reached up and grabbed a rectangular wooden box off the mantle. With a sigh he sat down in one of the arm chairs in front of the fireplace, lightly stroking the top of the box and staring at it before finally opening it.

Inside the box was a note.

_"I had this specially made for you. I noticed that the shade of your hair goes really well with the Kise family color, so I had both colors infused. Anyway, I just wanted to be sure that in case anything happened to me, you would still be alright.  
__–Ryouta"_

Tetsuya held on to the note and peered into the box. It was a dagger; the same size that Ryouta had. On the hilt was the crest of the Kise royal family along with an intricate design featuring two colors: sun yellow and sky blue. The blue-haired was touched, and couldn't help but smile, holding the gift to his chest. It was now clear to him what he had to do.

He must go out and find Ryouta himself.


	11. Chapter 10

Tetsuya approached Seijuro first thing the next morning, demanding he be given a crash course in swordplay. The redhead seemed amused by the determination in his eyes. "You seem to finally be sure of yourself." He commented with a smirk.

The blue-haired's expression remained just as defiant. "Please." He said. "Just for today, teach me to use a sword."

An amused smirk appeared on Seijuro's face. "I suppose there would be no changing your mind at this point, would there?" The redhead replied calmly, interpreting the other's determined frown and confident aura as his answer. "Very well, Tetsuya, I will teach you. But do not think I will go any easier on you than I do with Ryouta."

Tetsuya shook his head, seemingly satisfied with the swordsmaster's answer. "I wouldn't expect any less from Akashi-kun." He said, eager to start his training.

The session lasted until the early afternoon, and they worked nonstop the entire time and thoroughly covering all the basics, doing some brief detail work on the aspects Tetsuya picked up fairly quickly. The blue-haired now had even more respect for Ryouta; Seijuro's training session was extremely intense and fast-paced, and drained almost all of his energy. But he couldn't afford to rest. The prince had already been gone for four days; Tetsuya felt like he was rapidly running out of time.

After eating a portion of the food Kouki and Seijuro half force-fed him (as his appetite wasn't very large to begin with, and had been depleted since being injured), and having the nurses re-dress his wounds, the blue-haired promptly left the palace. He took with him two throwing knives, a short sword (both provided by the weaponsmaster himself), and the dagger Ryouta had made for him. He was clothed in a simple rider's uniform, which was more combat-friendly and easier to move in than the formal suit he wore as assistant to the prince. The knives he had tucked away in his boots, the hilts easily within reach to quickly pull out and throw, and the sword and dagger were both strapped to his belt on either side. Tetsuya rode swiftly on horseback, but he knew that he could not complete this mission on his own, as much as he would like to. That's why instead of chasing blindly after Ryouta's captors he headed back to Satsuki and Daiki to ask for their help. His old friends were also quite skilled with weapons, and the blue-haired was positive that they would be willing to help him.

Tetsuya arrived at Satsuki's cottage in less than half the time it took while riding in the carriage. He quickly dismounted and jogged up to the door, Daiki meeting him halfway.

"Tetsu! What's goin' on?" The taller male asked, perplexed. "Where's Kise? And what's with all the weapons? And for God's sake, _what's with all the bandages?!_"

Tetsu looked up at him. "Please, Aomine-kun, refrain from asking so many questions at once." He replied. He straightened up slightly and added a sense of urgency in his voice. "I need to speak with Momoi-san immediately."

As if on cue, the door swung open and Satsuki came running up to them. "Tetsu, what's going on?" she repeated Daiki's question, concern highlighting her otherwise serious face, noticing the bandages on Tetsuya's body that covered his still-healing wounds.

"Kise-kun has been taken." Tetsuya answered without hesitation. "Our carriage was sabotaged, and we were ambushed. I was rendered unconscious and sent back to the palace with a ransom note. I have been recovering over the past four days, but Kise-kun only has three days remaining until they kill him. I have come to ask for your help to rescue him."

Both Satsuki and Daiki's eyes widened as the smaller male explained the situation. There was much more emotion in Tetsuya's voice and visible in his face than usual, which took them by surprise and left them speechless. The blue-haired, however, took their silence as indifference. He took a step closer to them, tightening his hand into a fist. "_Please_, you _must _help me!" He shouted, surprising them even more.

Satsuki was the first to speak. "Of course we'll help you, Tetsu." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get ready immediately." The pink-haired looked at Daiki, who nodded and ran into the cottage. He returned shortly after wearing a comfortably-fitted uniform and heavily armed with two short swords, a hatchet, three throwing knives, and a crossbow, which he slung across his back. His look on his face alone was enough to kill a person. The bay-skinned male went back to the stables to start tacking up the horses as Satsuki went inside to change. Daiki had just brought the horses around next to Tetsuya's when she emerged. She was wearing a similar uniform to the tall male, and she was armed with a bow and quiver, two daggers, and a whip, which was secured to her side. "Let's do this." She said firmly; the seriousness in her voice almost made Tetsuya shudder. "Lead the way, Tetsu."

* * *

The smaller male's eyes darted around the area. "I'm sure it was here." He said to Satsuki, who dismounted and started inspecting the spot in the road. "We were ambushed here."

"Well, it'd certainly make sense," the lady called back up to him. "This is as close to the forest as this road ever gets; you can literally see it from here." She gestured toward the mass of trees off to the side to emphasize her point. "Wait…" Satsuki's voice suddenly lowered as she slowly kneeled down, glaring at a spot in the grass next to the dirt road, Tetsuya and Daiki waiting apprehensively in their mounts. The pink-haired was known for her impeccable eye for detail and tracking, so it was only a matter of time before she found something important.

"I think I'll be able to track them down from here." She called back to them, a small, triumphant smirk on her face as she held up a piece of embroidered fabric that made Tetsuya's eyes widen in horror.

"That's from Kise-kun's jacket!" He identified.

Satsuki nodded. "There's this, plus I can make out partial footprints." She explained. "They're vague, and obviously a few days old, but if they follow some sort of pattern, it shouldn't be that hard to track them down." The pink-haired pocketed the fabric and walked back to her horse, grabbing the reins and guiding him off the road. Tetsuya and Daiki similarly dismounted and did the same, letting the lady take the lead. Once they reached the edge of the forest, she turned to them. "From here, we continue on foot." They both nodded, and left the horses there as they slowly entered the forest.

There was an uncomfortable, thick silence that settled over them as they silently navigated through the gnarled web of trees and undergrowth. Daiki firmly kept a hand on the hilt of his sword at all times, his eyes darting around constantly, expecting someone to come out of nowhere at any time. They walked on for what seemed like an eternity when suddenly Satsuki motioned to both of them to stop and be absolutely be silent, which they did without question. Tetsuya's eyes were wide open on full alert as they kneeled down behind a rather large bush and peeked up over the top of it. There, only a few paces away, was an old, abandoned-looking shelter. Its foundation was made chiefly of decaying wood that looked about to collapse at any moment. Though it appeared that no one lived there and hadn't for years, Satsuki knew they had found their target not only because that's where the trail ended, but because she could see the subtle repairs the shelter had gone through recently, such as the tiny wood patches on the roof to fix the leaks, or the steel reinforcements to stabilize the wood pillars.

"Be careful," Satsuki whispered to the two males, keeping a careful eye on the shelter in case they were ambushed. "These guys know what they're doing. When we go in, watch where you step, for there may be booby traps. Only look for Kise-sama; when you find him, leave as quickly as possible."

Both Tetsuya and Daiki nodded, and, after checking for enemy presence, swiftly ran up to the house, entering silently.

The shelter seemed bigger on the inside than on the outside; once they were inside they found themselves in a maze of hallways that made them all more on edge than they already were, particularly Daiki, who tightened his grip on his weapons the further down they went. Some hallways, as the taller male quickly found out, were simply wall murals painted to look like corridors; the bay-skinned ended up carrying his dagger out in front of him at all times to prevent him from slamming into any more of them. And exactly like Satsuki predicted, there were traps peppered throughout the structure, all of which were expertly hidden. Even the pink-haired herself ended up tripping a few.

They had already been travelling down hallway after hallway, Daiki's patience rapidly running lower, for a while when Tetsuya tripped yet another trap. The floor beneath them suddenly began vibrating, and the taller male grabbed Satsuki and jerked her to safety just in time before the ceiling caved in, crashing to the floor and separating Tetsuya from the other two.

The blue-haired could hear Daiki coughing from the dust that swirled up. "Tetsu, are you alright?" He called to him.

Tetsuya started to nod before realizing they could not see him at all. "I'm fine," he replied in his usual tone. He could hear Satsuki sigh in relief. "Don't worry about moving all of this; I'll find another way out."

Satsuki sounded worried. "You sure?" she asked. "We'll be safer if we stick together."

"No." Tetsuya declined firmly. "We will be more productive this way. I'm not helpless, Momoi-san."

Daiki growled out of frustration before the pink-haired yanked on his ear. "Very well." She sighed. "Good luck."

"You too." The blue-haired frowned, then turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

The shelter seemed much more ominous once Tetsuya was alone; his mind even started playing tricks on him. At times he thought he saw the light from the torches flicker when he wasn't moving; other times he thought he heard voices or laughing. The blue-haired's heart began pounding, and he unintentionally increased his pace.

A few hallways and several traps later, and Tetsuya found himself outside. He looked around, stunned, for a few moments, but just when he thought he had ended up at the front door again he noticed a small shed immediately to his left. The blue-haired blinked at it, wondering why they hadn't seen it before. Carefully he made his way toward it, gripping the hilt of his sword as he slowly opened the door.

Inside the shed was a single room; the only light that reached it was through a tiny window directly below the ceiling. Tetsuya let his eyes adjust slightly to the darkness before he shut the door behind him, never letting his guard down. The blue-haired still couldn't see anything once he closed the door, and the silence was almost suffocating. The only breathing he could hear was his own, and his heart pounded loudly in his ears. Was there another person in the room as well? He thought he could hear them breathing, but he couldn't be sure. Then suddenly he heard a floorboard creak, and Tetsuya immediately drew his sword, pointing it out in front of him.

Still nothing but silence. Who was in here, and what were they planning? Finally, Tetsuya's eyes began to adjust more to the darkness, and he could barely see another figure across the room from him…

Tetsuya's eyes widened in horror, and he nearly dropped his sword.

_Yellow hair._

The blue-haired rushed forward, kneeling in front of Ryouta, not even noticing the tears that were forming in the corner of his eyes. The prince was tightly bound in chains to an old, splintering chair, his arms secured around the back of the chair while the chains tightly snaked around his legs, fastening them to the legs of the chair. He was gagged with a strong, white cloth that was stained red with blood; Ryouta's face, once perfect and clean, was caked with patches of dried blood and decorated with bruises, a black eye sealing his left eye shut. His hair hung limply in sweaty clumps, and his jacket was ripped nearly to shreds. Tetsuya lightly placed a trembling hand on Ryouta's cheek, quietly calling his name. "Kise-kun…_Kise-kun._ Can you hear me?"

A soft moan was his reply. The blue-haired's hands moved to undo the knot on the gag, then using the dagger to cut it after realizing how tight the knot was. "Kise-kun, it's me." Tetsuya repeated. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Ryouta's good eye slowly cracked open. "K…Kurokocchi…?" the prince asked weakly, the smaller male's voice sounding faint and distant to him. He couldn't see much at the moment, due to his weariness and the darkness. The prince had been there in that chair for so long he lost all sense of reality. He felt a hand gently rub his cheek, a familiar voice calling his name. "Kurokocchi, is that you…?"

Tetsuya brought his face closer to the prince, trying to make himself more visible. "Yes, I'm here, Kise-kun. I came here with Momoi-san and Aomine-kun to find you."

As the prince's eyes adjusted, his vision also cleared, allowing him to see the other's face more clearly. Ryouta felt more than relieved to see a kindly face, but suddenly panic surged through him as he realized where they were. "Kurokocchi, why are you here? It's dangerous; get out!" He coughed and panted lightly, having raised his voice louder than what his current strength would allow.

The blue-haired shook his head firmly. "No, Kise-kun." He told him. "I'm not leaving without you."

Just then the door was kicked in. Tetsuya immediately grabbed his sword and swung around, ready to fight whoever ran into the room, only to lower it again. Satsuki and Daiki were standing in the doorway, panting. Each had weapons drawn, and the bay-skinned male frequently glanced behind him, growling. "They fucking found us." Daiki growled, walking further into the room and facing the door, expecting them to burst through at any moment. Satsuki similarly moved to guard Tetsuya and Ryouta.

"Thank God we found you again, though, Tetsu!" Satsuki said to the smallest male, the frown on her face betraying the lightness in her tone.

It was not long before two large, muscular, and intimidating-looking men came through the doorway, each wielding a long sword. "Well now, Haizaki." Satsuki's voice had lowered to a sinister growl. "I never thought you the type to team up with someone."

Shougo spat at the ground. "Think whatever the hell you like, Satsuki." The taller of the two scowled. "Hanamiya just happened to have the same goal as I did!"

The other sneered and chuckled in a way that sent shivers down Tetsuya's spine. "Now," Makoto grinned, glaring down at the four of them and playfully adjusting his grip on his sword. "Who gets to die first?"

Ryouta's eye widened in fear. "_Run, Tetsuya!"_


	12. Chapter 11

The two thuggish-looking men wasted no time in attacking. Shougo immediately lunged forward, his sword drawn, and swung at Daiki, who had barely enough time to draw his own blade to block, stumbling back a few steps. The bay-skinned male worked together with Satsuki to distract their opponents while Tetsuya turned and try to loosen the chains that bound Ryouta to the chair he was in. The prince squirmed nervously as the smaller male worked, desperately trying to make him leave. "Please, Kurokocchi!" He pleaded. "It's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt; please leave and save yourself!"

If the prince weren't already damaged enough, Tetsuya would have slapped him. "Nonsense." The blue-haired said adamantly, his eyes narrowing as no progress was being made on the chains. "I'm not leaving without Kise-kun."

Ryouta pouted at the smaller male but argued no further, instead looking worriedly up at Satsuki and Daiki, who seemed to be struggling against the two massive males. They fought with virtually no regard for each other, but their brute strength alone was enough to even knock Daiki back and break his guard. The pink-haired immediately side-stepped in front of the bay-skinned male to protect him, swinging her bow like a sword while her whip lashed out at Makoto, striking him across his face and making him howl in pain, blood flowing freely down the side of his face. "Satsuki, looked out!" Daiki shouted as Shougo wound up his arm to bring his sword down on top of her. He pushed Satsuki out of the way and met his opponent's sword with both of his, but the force of the blow overwhelmed Daiki and he fell to the ground, Shougo's great sword slicing into his shoulder.

Fear surged through the prince as he watched the horrible scene, Tetsuya still unsuccessfully working at the chains. Satsuki gritted her teeth as she tried to fend off the men, damaging Makoto again when she drew an arrow from her quiver and stabbed it into his stomach and causing him to drop his sword, his breath hitching. Shougo, however, used her preoccupation with Makoto to his advantage and grabbed her by the wrist, twisting and squeezing it until he felt the bones fracture and break, holding his sword right up against her neck, smirking as the blade just barely pierced the skin, a thin line of blood trickling down her throat. "What'cha gonna do now, Satsuki?" He growled in her ear as she whimpered in pain.

Suddenly the pink-haired kicked her foot back, slamming the heel of her boot into Shougo's groin, grabbing one of her knives with her good hand and, spinning around quickly, stabbed it deep into his chest. "_That's_ what I'm gonna do." Satsuki responded firmly, standing over him and glaring down at him as he collapsed on the ground by her feet.

Daiki stumbled to his feet, clutching his shoulder as Makoto started to recover from his new injury, picking up his sword again. "Yo, fuck-wit." The bay-skinned male growled at him, pulling out his crossbow with a slight wince and aiming it at him. "Don't you go tryin' anything stupid."

The bigger male straightened up and laughed. "You really think that can stop me?" He sneered, suddenly swinging his sword up and knocking the crossbow out of Daiki's hand and kicking him into Satsuki, knocking them both to the ground as he walked swiftly straight towards Ryouta, raising his sword once more.

The prince's good eye widened, panic surging through him again with each step Makoto took. This was the end of his life; he knew it. "Kurokocchi…!" A single tear escaped the corner of his eye as he squeezed it shut, the utterance of his assistant's name sounding more like a choked sob. The royal hung his head and awaited the final blow.

The loud clang of clashing metal rang in Ryouta's ears. When the prince looked up, he saw Tetsuya standing between him and Makoto, his short sword held high to block his enemy's downward stroke, a fierce determination in his sky-blue eyes. "Kurokocchi…" the blond whispered his name again, staring up at the small male in wonder. He had no idea Tetsuya was even capable of this much emotion. He watched silently as he fought Makoto, who was easily twice, nearly three times his size. Tetsuya had an obvious beginners' touch; he used only basic blocking maneuvers and footwork, and he was clearly outmatched in strength and skill. Ryouta bit his lip and gasped as Makoto easily knocked Tetsuya's sword out of his hand, smirking at the smaller male as he stumbled backward and crashed into the wall.

"Well this is just pathetic!" Makoto laughed again, standing over Tetsuya and slowly pressing the tip of his blade into his chest. Ryouta noticed the dagger he had made for him was just out of the blue-haired's reach. "You're like a bug that just won't die. This time I'll squash you for sure!" With that, he raised his sword high over his head, ready to strike down on Tetsuya—when a blade ran right through his torso.

Daiki tossed Makoto to the side before pulling his sword out of his body, blood still gushing freely from the wound as the bay-skinned male stomped his foot on him to prevent him from moving any further. "You okay, Tetsu?" He asked the smaller male in a gruff tone.

The small male nodded stiffly, still slightly stunned as Daiki helped him to his feet. Satsuki, meanwhile, had moved behind Ryouta, using one of her arrows to clumsily pick at the lock that held the chains in place with her good hand. "Bastard crushed my writing hand…" she growled under her breath as her efforts were unsuccessful.

Tetsuya knelt next to the lady, moving to help her with the lock. Eventually they were able to pry the lock open, and very carefully Ryouta's assistant freed the prince from the chains. Once that was accomplished, the blue-haired knelt before Ryouta and inspected his wounds, frowning slightly. "We need to get you back as soon as possible." He stated, his usual tone of voice returning.

Satsuki stood up, placing her good hand on her hip and frowning down at Tetsuya. "That is true," she replied, "but we also need to tend to our own wounds. I'll try to get you two home as quickly as possible, but I need to make sure Ahomine's arm won't fall off."

With a small nod Tetsuya stood up and turned back to Ryouta. "Kise-kun, can you stand?" He asked the blond. When all he got in response was a confused blink, the blue-haired took a step closer to him and carefully lifted the prince out of the splintering chair, slipping an arm gently around his waist to keep him balanced. When Ryouta seemed somewhat steady on his feet, the small male led the prince, step by step, out of the shed. Daiki and Satsuki followed close behind them, the taller male glancing back warily at their fallen enemies a few times, just in case they suddenly rose up again.

Ryouta winced when they got outside. By now the sun was low on the horizon, ready to dip down into night; despite the fading light, it seemed much too bright for the wounded prince, who had seen nothing but absolute darkness for several days. The light almost seemed to burn into him, making his head throb even more than it already was.

It was hard to navigate through the forest once the sunlight disappeared, especially since they now had to be extra careful where they stepped so as to get the prince out safely. But with Satsuki leading, they eventually managed to get to the other side of the forest unscathed. They were all pleased to see that their horses were still there, lazily grazing on the grass. Both Daiki and the pink-haired helped Tetsuya ease the prince onto his horse, and they promptly returned to Satsuki's cottage, where their bleeding wounds were dressed and, once Tetsuya had expressed his gratitude, the lady arranged for transportation back to the palace.

The hours passed by uneasily for the blue-haired. Since exiting the forest the prince seemed to be in a lot of pain; Ryouta's eyes were squeezed shut nearly the entire time, he started breathing harshly and in small, shallow intervals, his face had gone pale and he hardly said a word to anyone, not even his own assistant. The smaller male became more and more worried as time went on, and he hoped they arrived at the palace as fast as possible. Tetsuya barely allowed Satsuki to tend to his wound, even though pain stabbed at him every time he breathed, because the prince needed help.

When they finally arrived at the castle, people swarmed around their horse with mixed expressions of relief, concern, and shock. Tetsuya dismounted and reached up to ease Ryouta off as well when the king and several officials pushed him out of the way, almost knocking him off his feet, and carefully took the prince, ushering him into the castle. The blue-haired knew that the officials must not have seen him at all, but the sudden separation from Ryouta was causing him to panic. Clutching the wound on his chest, which had become more painful, he quickly rose to his feet and was about to run after them when something grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Tetsuya, there's nothing you can do for him right now." Seijuro told him in a calm voice as the smaller male whipped his head around. The look in his eyes was mixed; his gold eye glinted at him with a firm gaze, while his red one said that he understood Tetsuya's concern.

After staring at the redhead for a few moments, the smaller male finally slumped and submitted, his arms falling to his sides. "I need to know if Kise-kun will be alright." He told the weaponsmaster.

Seijuro shook his head. "You cannot be sure of anything right now." He said firmly. "Even I don't know what will happen." Then, placing a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder, which then slid down to the small of his back, the redhead led him to the infirmary, where his wounds were more thoroughly dressed and redressed and where he told the blue-haired he could stay and wait for Ryouta. Tetsuya nodded his thanks, and Seijuro turned and left the room.

Another few hours passed, and still no news about the prince had reached Tetsuya. The blue-haired would have been pacing nervously up and down the length of the room if the nurses had forced him to remain sitting. He was exhausted, but he couldn't relax, much less sleep; he started listening to conversations between doctors to see if there were any updates at all on the prince's condition. What he started hearing was not comforting news at all.

"…lost a lot of blood…amazed that he's even made it this far…"

"…severely dehydrated…"

"I doubt he'll survive…"

Tetsuya held his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to calm himself down. Hearing nothing but bad news was making his heart race and his head spin. It was another long while before an official finally came in to talk to him.

"You are Kise-sama's assistant, yes?"

The blue-haired raised his head to look up at the officer, then nodded slowly.

"You may come in and see him now."

He stood up from his chair with deliberate slowness; he didn't want to injure himself again because he got too excited. Tetsuya then followed the officer into a separate hospital room, the one reserved for the royal family. There was Ryouta, lying still on the large hospital bed. His tattered clothes had been removed, and a large portion of his body was covered in bandages, including his bruised eye. The blue-haired slowly walked up to his bedside, a blank expression on his face. After a few moments' silence, the officer finally left the room to leave the assistant alone.

Tetsuya looked down at the sleeping prince. The sunlight was completely gone by now; the only source of light came from the candles spaced out throughout the room. The candle on Ryouta's bedside table cast a soft glow on his face, which complimented the golden tints in his hair but only made him look paler; if it hadn't been for the subtle rising and falling of his chest, the blue-haired would have thought he was dead. He let his hand rest on top of Ryouta's as he slowly sat down in the chair beside his bed, carefully picking it up and holding it between both of his hands.

As he sat there in complete silence, gingerly holding the prince's hand, all of Tetsuya's emotions started to make themselves visible all at once. Tears started falling down his pale face; tears he couldn't hold back but didn't want to hold back. Helplessly he sat at his prince's bedside, looking over at his sleeping face as he wept silently, gently squeezing Ryouta's hand. His mind wandered through his memories, thinking back to every moment that they had spent together. Was he never going to see his smile, or hear his sweet laughter again? Tetsuya bowed his head; a few of his tears fell down onto the prince's hand, and very gently he wiped them off. He never knew how soft his hands were.

* * *

Everything that occurred after they exited the shed in the forest had been a complete blur to Ryouta. He didn't know when he had blacked out, but when he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself in what appeared to be the infirmary at his palace. His whole body ached, and his head especially was throbbing rather painfully. He was going to raise his hand to rub his temple, but he felt something on top of his hand. When he looked down to see what it was, he was slightly shocked: Tetsuya was sleeping peacefully in the chair at his bedside; there were bandages visible on his forehead, hand, and neck, while his pale face was still slightly swollen from a black eye. Tetsuya's head was resting on Ryouta's leg, and it was his assistant's hand that was on top of his own. The prince's lips turned upwards into a soft smile as he looked at Tetsuya; he slowly reached over with his other hand to gently pet his head of sky-blue hair.

The gesture seemed to have woken the smaller male, because he stirred slightly, his eyelids twitching a little before he opened his eyes, glancing sleepily up at Ryouta, who continued to smile at him. "Good morning, Kurokocchi," the prince greeted him, his voice soft and somewhat hoarse.

Tetsuya blinked slowly a few times before he raised his head off the bed, not making direct eye contact with him. "Good morning, Kise-kun." He replied, his voice even softer than Ryouta's. "I'm glad you survived the night."

Ryouta's smile grew slightly wider, and there was a soft twinkle in his eye, either from the sunlight peeking in through the window or the comfort of his regaining happiness. Then, with a small sigh, he leaned his head back and his eyes slipped closed. The throbbing in his skull was almost too much for him. "Me too, Kurokocchi…" the blond whispered, more to himself than to his assistant.

The blue-haired, however, heard him. As Ryouta leaned his head back on his pillow, he couldn't help feeling concerned for him. "How are you feeling?" Tetsuya asked hesitantly.

The prince popped his head up at the sound of the smaller male's voice, wincing at how the sudden motion made his head hurt even more, if that was possible. "I'm fine." He replied, his smile returning. He forced cheerfulness into his voice; above everything else, he wanted Tetsuya to smile again. "Of course I would make it through the night, because I wanted to see Kurokocchi's face again!"

He saw the corners of the blue-haired's lips twitch upwards, but he was still too despondent to actually smile. Still determined, Ryouta reached out to Tetsuya, gently stroking his cheek and looking at him with a soft glow in his yellow eyes. "Hey," the prince said, his voice soft and gentle, almost having a sing-song quality to it. The smaller male lifted his gaze to stare back at the blond, where the morning sunlight highlighted his long eyelashes. The innocent grin from before had faded into a subtle yet honest smile. "I'm really glad you're safe."

The way Ryouta said those words sent shivers down the blue-haired's spine and made him blink; it was really the first time that Tetsuya _knew_ that the prince genuinely cared about him, and that he was truly worried about him. He slowly brought his hand up to rest on top of Ryouta's as he felt warmth rising up in his cheeks. By then he had started to smile; it was still very small and barely noticeable on his pale face, but it showed much more emotion. "Thank you." The blue-haired replied, his voice almost a whisper. He closed his eyes and took a long, slow, deep breath, his face ever so slightly pressing into Ryouta's hand.

The prince's smile grew as the small male spoke, and he almost felt like crying for no reason. His thumb caressed Tetsuya's pale cheek for a few long moments before he lowered his hand slightly. "Kurokocchi…can you come closer?" Ryouta asked, his smile disappearing once again.

Tetsuya opened his eyes and peered up at the blond, curiosity flashing in his bright blue eyes, but he complied right away. The blue-haired half-stood and grabbed the chair behind him, sliding it closer to him as quietly as possible before sitting back down, leaning forward slightly. All of a sudden Ryouta wrapped both his bandaged arms around his frail body, pressing his face into the smaller male's shoulder. "_I really like Kurokocchi_." The prince murmured, a slight waver in his voice. "I don't know what I would do without you." He wanted desperately to squeeze Tetsuya in his arms, to never let him go, but neither his arms nor the blue-haired's body had enough strength for that. Soon he couldn't hold his tears in any longer, and his body shook with silent sobs.

The small male's eyes widened as Ryouta hugged him, unsure whether or not he should return the gesture. His blue eyes filled up with tears when the prince spoke, and his arms quickly moved up to wrap around Ryouta's back, rubbing it soothingly as the blond sobbed into his shoulder. The blue-haired squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in his shoulder. "I…I also like Kise-kun." Tetsuya replied, his voice softer and more timid than Ryouta's had been. "I've liked Kise-kun for a while."

The blond finally pulled away, rubbing his eyes briefly before looking at the other straight in the eyes, their faces inches apart. Ryouta's hand came up again, stroking Tetsuya's cheek once more before sliding down to his chin, gently tilting his chin up as the prince closed the gap, pressing their lips together in a soft, meaningful kiss.

Tetsuya looked up at him, his cheeks flushing a slightly darker shade of pink as he saw the prince slowly moving in towards him. The blue-haired's eyes shut again, then, after a moment or two, returned the kiss. Ryouta pulled back finally, his hands cupping around either side of Tetsuya's pale, bandaged neck as he smiled at him. Warmth filled the small male's heart, and he smiled back at him.

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

A few days later, Ryouta was permitted to leave the infirmary, provided that he still remained in bed at all times. His assistant was naturally by his side the entire time and seeing to his every need, as was his job. Tetsuya was focusing so much on helping the prince recover, however, that he spent little time on himself. He never once went back to his own room, hardly getting any sleep and sometimes forgetting to eat meals. On most nights, the blue-haired would sit by his bedside, gently holding his hand and talking to him until he fell asleep; on several occasions Tetsuya would wake up the next morning to discover he had fallen asleep with his head on Ryouta's lap.

"You look really tired today, Kurokocchi!" The prince noted one night, pouting at his exhausted and sleep-deprived assistant as he brought him his evening medicine.

The smaller male rubbed his eyes, blinking to keep himself awake. "I'm fine, Kise-kun." He replied sluggishly, his eyelids growing heavy again.

Ryouta frowned. "No, you're not. C'mon, my bed's big enough; you're sleeping right here tonight." He said, patting the spot next to him on the large bed.

The blue-haired blinked several times. "I couldn't possibly—"

"That's an order, Kurokocchi." He pouted.

Tetsuya sighed tiredly. "Fine. But take your medicine first." The smaller male was happy to see Ryouta's strength slowly returning, and as soon as the prince choked down the rest of the remedy, Tetsuya removed his jacket and hung it over the back of the chair before climbing into the bed next to him.

The blond helped him slip under the covers, then brought his hand up to Tetsuya's forehead, coaxing him to lay down. "You really should lay down, Kurokocchi; you're really tired and you need your rest."

The blue-haired frowned slightly but didn't object, slowly leaning back and resting his head on the pillow. Ryouta lay down as well, turning on his side to look at him. "We wouldn't want you to be getting sick, too; that would be bad!" He added with a smile. When Tetsuya turned his head toward him, the prince stroked his blue hair, gently pushing a lock out of his face before leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead. When the blond pulled back he rolled onto his back again, scooting his body a little closer to Tetsuya's while his hand wandered under the covers to find the blue-haired's hand, slowly lacing their fingers together.

Tetsuya was quickly falling asleep, losing his ability to keep his eyes open. The firelight had dimmed down to small embers, leaving them in almost complete darkness. Suddenly the prince asked. "Kurokocchi? How much do you like me?" He didn't really expect a direct answer, if he even got one, but he was curious even as he was getting sleepy.

There was a long silence, and Ryouta had thought the blue-haired had already fallen asleep when his small, gentle, tired, and beautiful voice said, "A lot."

Happiness welled up inside of him; he squeezed his hand a little bit as a warm smile grew on his lips. He too was falling asleep, but there was one more thing left on his mind before he closed his eyes.

"Kurokocchi?" He asked again.

Silence. Then, the prince heard soft, slow, and even breathing next to him; Tetsuya was definitely asleep.

Smiling again, Ryouta leaned over and planted another soft kiss to his pale cheek. His eyes finally slipped closed as he sighed. "I love you too, Tetsuya." The prince whispered, squeezing his small hand again. "Good night." With that, his eyes shut completely, and he quickly fell asleep, still smiling slightly. At last, Ryouta had found happiness.


End file.
